How To Use A Hoyer Lift

Whether it is in a hospital set-up or in a homecare case, it is easy to see that transferring patients from bed to bed or from bed to wheelchair can be quite an undertaking. Manual patient transfers can be dangerous for both patient and caregiver. A Hoyer lift is the perfect solution to patient lift issues.

 

Trying to lift a patient out of a bed, or a chair, manually can not only lead to back injuries for the caregiver, it can also be dangerous for the patient as it involves some risk, however small, of slipping and falling. Patient lifts like the Hoyer lift were especially created for such situations, and are designed to make patient handling safer. They also help ensure dignity in situations where patient handling is needed.

 

The Hoyer Lift, or a sling lift, is a device that assists the shifting and handling of patients in all kinds of set ups. Since they are lightweight and are easy to assemble and disassemble, they can be transported quickly and easily to almost anywhere, and set up in hospitals or nursing homes equally as simply as they would at home. If the patient is heavy, and their mobility is limited due to illness or disability, it may be close to impossible for nursing staff or care givers to lift and shift them. A patient can be transferred between a bed and any other resting place, safely and quickly using the power of hydraulics with these devices.

 

The advantages of the lift lie in the fact that it nor only reduces chances of patient or caregiver injury but also allows hospitals and hospices to function with a reduced number of nursing staff dedicated to the movement of patients.

 

The use of a Hoyer lift is fairly simple, and shifting is accomplished by placing a piece of specialized fabric under the patient to hold the weight while they are suspended. Using hooks and chains, the fabric is then attached to the hydraulic lift, and hoisted or lowered to shift the patient. A proper assessment is necessary of the size, weight, and the acuteness of their condition, before a lift can be decided upon or used. The wrong lift can seriously endanger the patient during transfer.

 

Nursing advocacy groups have been putting efforts into making sure that hospitals and nursing homes adopt these lifting devices, with properly trained staff for the safest and most efficient use. It is essential to know the right way to use the Hoyer lift. The proper sling is as essential to the smooth movement of the patient as is the proper positioning of the lift. Trained personnel are also important to ensure safety. Space is important, because without adequate room in the patient's vicinity, the lift will not function optimally.

 

To raise the patient, the lift base is spread to the widest position for full stability, and patient is lowered or raised by the use of the hydraulic pressure knob or the hand control button. Remember that the boom does not swivel, so make sure the weight is centered over the legs. When the base legs are at their widest open position, and locked in, the steering handle is used to push the lift into position, and to raise and lower the patient.

 

Once the patient is clear out of the bed, they must be swung off the bed, and the steering handle is used to move the lift away. Always have the patient facing the operator. When lowering, begin with getting their feet to rest on the base, straddling the mast. Then close the control valve and shift them into the chair.

 

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