There are a lot of times we come across patients who have limited mobility and are unable to sit, stand, or even move on their own. These people require specialized assistance in getting them up, moving them from the chair to the bed or making them have their bath, etc. In such cases it becomes necessary to lift the patient up and transfer them from the bed or chair or from one place to another using an assistive device. Such devices are known as patient hoists or in simpler terms as patient lifts. Patient hoists are extensively used in hospitals, nursing homes, health care centers, and critical care centers and even domestically to lift and move patients who are unable to move on their own.
Why patient hoists were invented?
- Before patient hoists came into picture, the nurse or the caregiver had to physically lift the patients and transport them to where they needed to go for short distances or get them to a wheelchair for long distance transport like from one room to another.
- Along with being an inconvenient procedure for the patient who was being lifted physically, it was also more time-consuming as most of the times two or more people were required to lift heavy patients.
- Again it was a very risky procedure as in cases where the caregiver was not diligent enough the chances of the patient being injured while being carried or transported were very high.
- Due to these reasons, the patient lifts were invented which could help caregivers and healthcare professionals to lift and carry the patient easily without any chances of hurting or injuring them.
- Patient hoists or patient lifts are hydraulic devices which are utilized in hospitals and health care centers the world over to gently lift and transport patients who are physically challenged or have limited mobility as they may be recovering from surgeries, accidents, etc.
- Patient hoists are increasingly being used in rehabilitation centers also, where they help patients recovering from accident injuries to regain their mobility.
Different types of Patient hoists
Though traditionally patient hoists were operated manually, nowadays there are a lot of varieties of patient hoists available depending on the usage for which it is required. The main types of patient lifts which are available in the market are
- Manual Patient Hoists – As the name suggests manual patient lifts have to be operated by hand though they come along with hydraulic assists to ease the burden on the operator. These lifts are cheaper than the power-operated ones.
- Power patient Hoists – Power patient hoists work on power which means they need to be plugged in to charge their batteries after which they can work. They are usually controlled via a remote control which makes them more powerful and efficient compared to the manual lifts.
- Stand up Patient hoists – Also called as the Stand assist lifts, these types of patient hoists are mainly used in rehab centers where they are used to make the patient practice to bear weight or assist them in standing up or sitting down.
- Overhead Patient hoists – Overhead patient hoists are power lifts which are fixed on a track in the ceiling of a room. They are most convenient for resident care facilities where the patient needs transportation to move from one room to another.
- Bath patient lifts – As the name says, bath patient hoists are waterproof sitting chairs which can be directly lowered into the tub by the caregiver.
Using Patients lifts or patient hoists can be a big advantage for caregivers and nurses as along with easing their burden of lifting and transporting the immobile or limited mobility patient they are also gentle and easy on the patient, always keeping them safe and secure.
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