We are regularly asked, what's the best patient lifts for home use?
Here are a few quick tips to help you decide, which patient lifter you want wish to consider.
1.What type of sling do you require?
Standing Hoists - Patients who need assistance to stand that are able to weight bare (suppport themselves when up right) may need a standaid like an Oxford Standaid range
Passive hoists - Patients who are unable to stand will require a passive hoist which uses a sling to lift the patient from bed to chair for example
Ceiling hoists - Patients with high dependancy or where space is at premium, often choose a track system, this can be a short track or connecting multiple rooms eg. bedroom to bathroom.
2. How much room is there?
If there is very little floor space, passive hoist (Mobile hoist) may not be appropriate, there are ceiling track systems that offer a better solution.
3. how heavy is the person being lifted
You need to ensure the patient lifter can lift the service user, if someone is within 10% of the max SWL (Safe Working Load), you need to go to the next size. example Oxford Mini 140 will lift 140Kg / 22 Stone, if a service user weighs 126Kg / 19.8 Stone, you want to consider Oxford Midi 180 as buying a lifter that's not fit for purpose 12 months later is a significant expense wasted.
4. What sort of Sling does the service user need?
There are a wide range of Oxford slings for a variety of tasks: transfer from bed to chair, bed to bath, slings with or without head support, slings for amputees and special slings for service users who need different material, all day slings and custom slings that meet clients specific needs. Don't be concerned, if you need help, call 01772 814555.
Here are a couple of companies that we can highly recommend that offer quality products in areas of mobility that we currently do not offer.
A new company being run by 2 very experienced mobility people is Total Mobilityand they offer a range of quality products ranging from mobility scooters to disabled bathrooms. If you require a wheel chair ramp then we can recommend this company: Wheelchair Ramps