5 Factors To Consider When Selecting a Sit To Stand Lift For Patient Transfers
Sit to stand lift for patients have been in existent for years and are used to ensure that patients are moved from one place to another between two seated postures. For instance, you may want to transfer a patient sitting on the wheelchair to the commode. The main purpose of these standing and raising aids is to ensure that patients can be manually transferred without causing any risk of injury to the caregiver.
Patients also protected from the risk of falls which would further complicate the health of the patient. The following are factors to consider when selecting the best sit to stand lift;
The powered or non-powered lift mechanism
You should ascertain the mobility of the patient to determine whether they can stand up unaided or they are not able to stand but can support their weight with one leg. If they can stand up without any help, then a non-powdered device will do the work.
However, if the patient can stand but can only support his/her weight with one leg, a powdered lift is appropriate to use. Powdered standing has been designed with an electric lifting to allow easier raising and lowering of the patient and facilitate smooth movement.
Weight capacity
This factor is important as it enables you to determine the safe working load. If the patient or the resident in your facility is plus size, then you should consider a higher max safe working load, and if the patient is of average size, then the normal safe working load will be used. You should, therefore, be able to determine if your facility has a plus size or normal sized patient to determine the ratio of sit to stand lift to avoid purchasing excess ones that you may never use.
Battery portability or non-portability
Battery portability allows you to change the battery when the old one dies easily. Some manufacturers consider this as a compulsory feature in its designs while others believe it as an option. Those manufacturers who provide the portable battery as an option use the non-portable system which is considered standard and will require you to always plug the lift directly to an outlet so that they can be recharged.
Handheld control
This comprises a push button that is used to lower or raise the lifting arm. This feature allows placing the control on the sit-to-stand lift when you are transferring the patient. This allows the caregiver to assist in positioning the patient. Ensure you have both a fixed control panel and handheld control for improved maneuverability.
Service and maintenance
It’s important to select a sit to stand lift that when you have service agreements that allow you to replace spare parts or provide services such as installations or sling replacements. You should also ensure that you have ease of use of the device and can be maneuvered easily to promote mobility at the same time ensuring that the patients are very comfortable.
