i work in a care home and one of our residents has parkinsons she is very heavy in the morning can i use a hoist to get her up from bed and on to the to the toilet
You mean like a Hoyer lift? Or a sit-to-stand lift?
Whenever you use a mechanized lift 2 staff members always need to be involved. But then again, if you had an extra person there the two of you could lift this woman in the morning and you wouldn't need a lift.
Don't ever try to lift her on your own. You'll break your back and she's liable to fall in the process.
An hoist is the safest way to move a person who cannot help themselves. People lifting patients can let go when the patient gets stressed. Caring for older adults is my profession
Dad was non load bearing because of a foot amputation. We used the lift to move him from bed to recliner, then had to roll him on his side to remove the "hammock" part f the hoist. We were originally sent a mechanical one with a crank, worthless, we asked for an electric one and got it. I learned to use it by watching rehab. Now that I think about it, it was not used for toilletting. They used bedpans.
Ask the charge R.N. that runs the unite how it should be performed properly. Ask that nurse to show you how, or to assist you in your first attempt to attempt this.
Absolutely, don't risk injuring yourself. Parkinson's makes them rigid , especially if they are trying to help you get them up. An electric lift will have a sling with a hole in it for toileting and the resident should have special clothing that allows for the ease of this process. (snap back slips and dresses or shirts with just the pant fronts). They sit on pads or diapers in their chair for incontinence.
In a home care place they have to legally have 2 people run the hoyer lift. I personally have used one alone for 3 years in my house to transfer my Mom who cannot walk. It took me months to learn on my own how to get her into a wheelchair because she rises in a scooped position, but I finally learned. There is no way to get them onto a toilet though because if you are lucky and have the hole in the right place its impossible to remove a full sling. They have smaller slings that can cross between legs but not for someone like my 93 yr old mom that cannot walk. I lift and pivot transfer her onto the toilet to bathe her mornings. Good luck.
PS an if you remove the sling, you have to stand them to get their clothes off. At least thats my experience, I have tried it all. If you do find a way, please let me know lol!
Friendlybedguy, what about for dementia elderly patients who dont understand anything, and cannot use their arms? I tried lavinlifts and they were horrid. Would love an easier way to roll my mother in bed, or lift her to change her. Thx
Wow this is so relevant to me right now. I am having the same Parkinson's problem. Getting mom out of bed has become a nightmare. She keeps rolling back. She has lost so much strength. She has become so frail and her body is racked with pain. Toilet dressing too has become a nightmare as well because I have to clean her off and dress her. It's time to a nursing home because if a facility needs to do the Hoyer lift, I am not 2 people. I'm tired and the drama and temper tantrums aren't working for either of us. Love you Mama but it's time for professionals and at the next dr appt we need make that a reality.
Oh kedwards the poor thing, how sad! Ask the doctor for a medication to calm her down and for pain, my Mom was on depakote sprinkles during that phase. I sing to her, hold her hand , feed her, bathe her, change her, etc and she is very happy, althou she cannot talk and walk. They go straight downhill in a nursing home and feel they went there to die. You can get help at home if you need it, Good luck
ReverseRoles- you are right- dementia patients would be very confused with any sort of new equipment so there are no great answers. Regarding LavinLifts- I see them at tradeshows and assumed they worked ok- I would love to have you contact me and let me know why they are bad news. There are many stories of how people (and especially the caregivers) are one lift from disaster. Hoyers are the fallback position despite their problems and the fact people being slinged lose independence, muscle tone, etc. Letting a person "help themselves" as much as possible always made more sense to me as everyone benefits.
Get your doctor to write a prescription for home health. They will pay for someone to give her a bath.. Another suggestion is Hospice call them and get your doctor to ask for a assessment. They can help and help you too. Hospice is not just for the last weeks of life, they are if someone has a life diminishing condition.
Friendlybedguy, how would I contact you? I dont always read these posts so also post on my name if you can ok. I paid for the lavin lifts $$$ because I was desperate. We tried them with mom, what a disaster. Then I had my husband lay down, then my adult son and his wife, then myself. You have to have strength in your legs to hold these onto your legs and its a joke. We tried every strapping position, etc and they are impossible, no less for an elderly person to use. I was so excited, then so disappointed. As far as the hoyer lifts, they are great from bed to recliner, and vice versa. You have to have the strength to roll the sling under them and to put a slouched person into a straight back wheelchair is extremely difficult. If anyone gets a hoyer I recommend a reclined wheelchair if you need to do it alone. I have to tip the wheelchair up on its back legs and slowly lower Mom into it and then slowly pull the chair down while backing up the hoyer, difficult but I did finally learn. Maybe you can help me, I need a hoyer sling for sleeping and sitting in for hours that doesnt have all kinds of strapping, etc making it uncomfortable. I have to cover up Moms sling with padding over it because she sits on it all day,not very easy. Thanks and contact me any time, I've been at this 7 years with Mom in my home and have pretty much done it all. lol
Kathy62, do you live in the U.S. ? I never could get someone to come in and bathe my Mom or me unless I paid them to come in. The doctor wont write a script for that unless they have an open sore or just back from a hospital visit. I had Hospice also but canceled them because they said my Mom is a 2 person assist and they cannot supply that. The Aides they send couldnt even hoyer my Mom into a wheelchair or roll her to change or bathe her. Although my Mom cannot walk, talk, or understand much of anything, she knows when someone is trying to turn her in bed and resists. She is so so so strong when she wants to be !
A hoist does the job. I have come across this hoist recently and I am finding it so handy. Its folds up very small and is very hand to take away on day trips and weekends away. You only need 1 carer to operate it also. ardoohoists
Skates- looks like a handy product- is there a US distributor? Normally I try to steer people away from hoists- I would rather see the person use whatever abilities they have to "help themselves"- better for them and much easier on the caregiver. Getting in/out of bed and/or repositioning in bed is a huge issue for Parkinsons and there are solutions. Lots of spouse calls of them getting up 6 or more times a night to roll their heavy partner over- who can do that 7 days a week forever?
Skates, do you mean a hoyer lift? I got one thru medicare for my Mom but it isnt small and takes up the entire Van to move it with us on rare occasions in the Summertime. Can you tell me the name? I have an awful time turning Mom in bed alone to change her and cant find a solution for that yet. Thanks
RR- I saw the lift at the ardoohoist website (the link was shown previously)- they are out of England and very new. My quick impression was it has a base like a hoyer but much lighter duty. Instead of an overhead "boom" it has a forktype arm that sticks out and grabs someone slightly above the waist (grabbed a sling around the person's trunk). Looks like a combination of a hoyer base and the lifting strategy of the "portable lifts" that are getting more popular (Port-a-Lift and others now including Drive Medical). The hoist can be hooked on identical brackets on bedroom/bathroom walls or the door framework of a car.
Thanks Friendlybedguy, there is no price and its out of the country . Argh I bet its thousands of dollars. I would love one. We bought an old used van thats on its last legs for out infrequent rides out (about 3-5 times a year) and it would be great for toilet and car. If anyone has more info or knows of one similar please let me know. And if anyone knows how to use a 4 pint hoyer to turn a person in bed please let me know also. Thanks, still hanging in there.
The Ardoo Hoist is actually made in Ireland and they ship worldwide. We got ours delivered to the States and it arrived 2 days later. It is expensive think it cost us all up about $2,500 but so far it's worth it as it allows more freedom for weekend breaks and day trips. You should check them out online as you will find more info about it. I hope you find something that suits you, take care.
Thanks skates, wish i could find a used one lol. Can you put someone in the car with it? My mom can't walk or hold on but she can sit and ok in the regular hoyer sling. Think it will work for her? I wonder if they sell used ones anywhere I found one very similar to it last night online but I just can't pay that kind of money out. Thank you
Sorry. Jumping in late here. Ceiling lifts are even better than portable hoyer lifts in my opinion. Greater ease of use, etc.
Also - don't forget about getting a regular routine setup for your care recipient. That regularity and schedule can help so as to not surprise them. Having them understand and remember what's going on goes a long way in making the transfer easier. Also helps with staff that are helping so they know what to expect.
Whenever you use a mechanized lift 2 staff members always need to be involved. But then again, if you had an extra person there the two of you could lift this woman in the morning and you wouldn't need a lift.
Don't ever try to lift her on your own. You'll break your back and she's liable to fall in the process.
What does your supervisor say?
I never could get someone to come in and bathe my Mom or me unless I paid them to come in. The doctor wont write a script for that unless they have an open sore or just back from a hospital visit. I had Hospice also but canceled them because they said my Mom is a 2 person assist and they cannot supply that. The Aides they send couldnt even hoyer my Mom into a wheelchair or roll her to change or bathe her. Although my Mom cannot walk, talk, or understand much of anything, she knows when someone is trying to turn her in bed and resists. She is so so so strong when she wants to be !
ardoohoists
Also - don't forget about getting a regular routine setup for your care recipient. That regularity and schedule can help so as to not surprise them. Having them understand and remember what's going on goes a long way in making the transfer easier. Also helps with staff that are helping so they know what to expect.