A mobility hoist is a vital piece of equipment which can assist with moving elderly or disabled people.
They can be used for all manners of reasons, though most commonly you will see them used for activities such as lifting people in and out of bed, vehicles and to help manoeuvring them for bathing.
Mobility hoists are available in many shapes and sizes, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. If you’re looking to buy one, then there are many different factors to take in to consideration to ensure you make the right purchasing decision.
As a starting point, the following factors are all incredibly important to consider before completing your purchase.
Static/Fixed Or Mobile?
Perhaps the first decision you will have to make when choosing which mobility to hoist to buy is whether you will need a static or portable version? Each have different uses and obvious advantages and disadvantages.
A fixed, or static, hoist will most likely be used to serve a specific purpose, for example, moving a person in and out of bed. The hoist frame will be attached permanently to a ceiling or floor (often both) to ensure maximum stability.
The obvious difference to that of a portable hoist is that the latter can be moved around the home or taken elsewhere with you. They can often be assembled by a single person in the just a few minutes and so can help grant a huge amount of freedom to the user.
There are also semi-portable mobility hoists as well, designed to give you more flexibility than a fixed one. Make sure you take the time to fully understand your own requirements and speak to professionals who can help you make the right decision. Our team will be happy to assist and offer guidance in these areas.
Electric Or Manual?
Mobility hoists can be either manual or powered. Powered are useful when the user is heavy or operating it themselves. It can also be ideal for scenarios when the primary carer is not strong enough to move the person on their own.
Again, whether the hoist is fixed or portable will also play a part, with fixed being able to take advantage of constant power sources while portable ones will rely on battery if powered.
Alternatively, manual mobility hoists will require a certain degree of physical strength to help manoeuvre the person using the hoist.
Will You Need A Ceiling Track?
For static mobility hoists, ceiling tracks can be installed to help make transporting a person short distances simpler. For example, this could be moving someone from their bed to their favourite chair or desk within the same room.
Ceiling tracks can also help in scenarios where the user perhaps relies on the hoist to move around their home while standing in a sling. Ceiling tracks may need to be installed extensively for this.
Is The Hoist To Be Used For Bathing?
Mobility hoists can be made specifically for the moving of users for purposes of showering, bathing or even swimming if you have a pool. These will be fixed units, but there are additional considerations that will need to be factored in when buying one of these hoists. They will usually consist of a waterproof chair that can be lowered in to the bath.
Consider The Persons Strength
An absolute primary consideration should be the patient or person who will be using the sling. What are their own physical strengths? Which parts of their body do they have no control over? Can a mobility hoist with specific sling be used to help improve the mobility in a certain part of their body?
A medical professional will be able to give you the initial guidance on the type of hoists required. It goes beyond initial accessibility though. If, for example, the patient suffers from involuntary muscle spasms, custom slings may have to be made to ensure they are fully supported when these occur.
Height, weight, physical and mental disability and even down to skin conditions must all be considered when choosing hoist types and slings.
Ensure You Select The Right Sling
The mention of slings brings us on to our final consideration when choosing a mobility hoist, and that is the sling itself. Many of these will be custom made for each patient’s requirements, taking in to consideration all of the things we have mentioned above.
Hoists may need to accommodate multiple slings for patients as well, so all of this must be taken in to consideration.
Interested To Find Out More?
If you want to find out more, or would like to request a survey and quote, please contact us today on 0151 525 3610 to speak to a member of our experienced team. Alternatively, you can complete our simple enquiry form here and one of our experienced team will call you back whenever is convenient for you.