Patient lift

For home care of patients, a patient lift is a very useful piece of equipment. It will help the patient to move about and will allow him or her to enjoy more activities than previously possible. Patient lifts are coming in different models, each catering for a different use. Manual as well as electric patient lifts are available. The manual patient lift, as the name suggests is operated manually. On the other hand the electric patient lift is supplied by electric by power. For different uses there are different patient lifts. For bringing the patient to the standing position, standing patient lifts are to be used. Likewise, bath patient lifts are for a bath and a pool lift is for spending time in the pool.

The patient lift helps avoid injuries to the patient as well as to the one who gives care to the patient. The comfort given to the caregiver will surely reflect upon the service made available to the patient. If the caregiver is more comfortable while handling a patient, the service and comfort passed on to the patient will be better. The patient lift is a very useful accessory in caring for a seriously ill or disabled person. It makes life easy for the patient. For the one who gives care to the patient it is very effective equipment for easy handling of the patient.

A manual patient lift is hydraulically assisted, but is operated by the patient’s attendant. A powered patient lift is fed by electric current and usually only required the press of a button. The supply of power can be from a battery or from an electrical outlet. The cost of a power patient lift is ofcourse significantly higher than the cost of a manual patient lift. Overhead lifts are the most commonly used lifts now. They require a sling to carry the patient. The sling hangs from the top part of the lift. The patient can be carried in the sling in the sitting position comfortably.

Patient lifts are generally a rather expensive piece of equipment. in the US, the Medicare health insurance program does not provide the funds for buying a patient lift. The Medicare has provisions for payment of rental only for such an equipment. In other words, they fund only the temporary use of a patient lift. Insurance companies allow it if it is covered in the policy. Patient lifts are generally owned by hospitals only. In some homes they are used for the transport, but only temporarily and on a rental basis.

Many nurses leave the service due to back injury. Back injury is mainly caused by handling of heavy patients manually. A patient lift will surely help reduce the agony of the nurses in shifting the patients. Consequently, injury to themselves also will be reduced. Patient lifts in hospitals will provide a comfortable atmosphere for hospital workers by avoiding heavy manual work. New designs of patient lifts are being developed by several manufacturers. When they are made available, they will help a lot for the caring of patients.

Diana patient lift video