Sunday, December 26, 2010

Using Ceiling lifts for Disabled

Most of the homes and public buildings now are not well equipped to be disabled friendly. This is a worrying trend because, as a society, we should always focus on the needy people and ensure that they are not forgotten by the rest. In fact, it is not difficult to equip your home with the right set of mobility aids to make it handicap ready. This article introduces the different lifting devices for old people so you can have a better idea and set about buying them if your home has a needy user.

Firstly, the ceiling lift is one which moves the user from the bed to the wheelchair. It is basically a track that is installed to the ceiling with a simple lifting mechanism in the middle. The crane has a canvas hanging from it where the user will be lifted in. To operate the ceiling lift, an assistant is required to be present. The assistant will tilt the user to the side and slip the canvas underneath. The patient will rest in the middle of the canvas. The ends of the canvas will be hooked on to the ceiling lift before theassistant can operate the lift.

Operating the ceiling lift is a simple process with only the up and down buttons to know. The important part is to ensure the user is in the correct position. When the assistant presses the up button, the user will be lifted slowly. The caregiver needs to ensure that the user is in the seated position when lifted. When the user is about one foot from the bed, the assistant can press the stop button.

This is when the user is in mid-air. The helper will need to move the patient along the designated track as installed on the ceiling to the next location. Push the patient slowly while keeping the canvas from swaying. The user will be pushed until he is right above his Quickie Power Wheelchairs where he will be lowered slowly into position. The canvas can be left under the patient on the wheelchair as it will be used again when he needs to be transferred back to the bed.

If you do not want to use the ceiling lift, an alternative is the floor lift which is similar in its functions. The difference is that the floor lift has a set of wheels and is more mobile than the ceiling lift which is restricted to the tracks.