Top Benefits of Mobile Patient Hoists

Introduction

For caregivers and healthcare facilities, moving and transferring patients can be one of the most physically demanding and risky tasks. Traditional manual lifting puts tremendous strain on the back and joints while also posing a danger of injury to both patient and caregiver if a fall or drop were to occur. This is where mobile patient hoists provide an invaluable solution. 

Mobile patient hoists, also known as floor lifts, provide a mechanical means of lifting, transferring and repositioning patients safely with minimal physical effort. There are many benefits to using a mobile hoist system rather than traditional manual lifting techniques. This article will explore some of the top benefits that mobile hoists provide for both caregivers and patients.

Reduced Risk of Injury

One of the biggest advantages of using a mobile hoist is the significant reduction in risk of injury to both patients and caregivers. Lifting and moving patients manually can lead to strained muscles, back injuries, and long-term joint damage for caregivers. For patients who are elderly, disabled or recovering from illness or surgery, improper lifting techniques also pose a major risk of falls or further injury. 

Mobile hoists eliminate risky manual lifting, providing powered assistance to safely raise, move and lower patients. Hoists reduce the amount of force needed by caregivers to almost zero, minimizing the likelihood of muscle pulls, torn ligaments or slipped discs. This helps prevent acute injuries as well as long-term damage from repetitive heavy lifting. Patients also benefit from gentle assisted transfers that don’t put pressure on healing incisions or fragile joints.

Increased Mobility and Independence  

In addition to safety, mobile hoists greatly improve mobility and independence for patients. Patients who require help moving, including the elderly and those with disabilities or limited mobility, often have to rely fully on caregivers for transfers. This can be frustrating and embarrassing for patients when family members or medical staff have to physically lift them for every repositioning need.

With a patient lifts for home can be safely transferred on their own without multiple caregivers present. This restores a sense of autonomy and dignity. Patients positioned in a hoist sling or seat can also be easily moved around a room or facility. This mobility helps improve well-being and makes it feasible for patients to attend therapies and engage in normal daily activities. Mobile hoists help both patients and their caregivers enjoy greater freedom and less burdensome care.

Better Ergonomics and Comfort

Hoists don’t just provide safety and mobility – they also lift and transfer patients with better ergonomics for both comfort and health. Because mobile hoists do all the physical work of lifting, patients can be moved in a controlled, comfortable seated position. This avoids issues like skin tears or joint hyperextension that can happen when patients are manually grasped and pulled.

For caregivers, a mobile hoist’s powered lift system means no more hunching, pulling or strained lifting motions. Caregivers can operate the lift in an upright position with natural movement. This significantly cuts down on back fatigue and injury risk. With a hoist handling the lifting, the caregiver focuses on gently guiding the transfer. This is much easier on the body and prevents the development of chronic back pain often seen in nursing staff and home health aides.

Adaptable for Different Mobility Needs

Today’s mobile hoists offer adaptable features to safely accommodate different levels of patient mobility and disabilities. Systems are available with powered raising and lowering as well as electric drive for transportation around a facility. Some mobile hoists allow patients to operate the lift functions themselves with a hand control. Others feature powered spreading legs for ease in lifting from floor level. 

With the right sling choice, mobile hoists can be used for patients who are fully dependent as well as those who are closer to ambulatory. This means the same hoist can serve patients recovering from an injury who need only minimal support walking. It also works for more involved transfers like lifting from a wheelchair. The wide adaptability of modern mobile hoists makes them useful across healthcare settings.

Easier for Caregivers and Safer for Patients

At their core, mobile hoists reduce the most difficult, risky and time consuming aspects of patient handling – the physical lifting. They minimize the need for caregivers to manually bear the weight of patients during transfers. Not having to physically lift and carry patients reduces forces on the back and joints by close to 90% compared to manual lifting. This significantly lowers the chance of acute or cumulative injuries for healthcare staff.

The powered lift system also provides more controlled, gentle transfers for patients. The stable supportive sling keeps patients oriented in an upright, comfortable seated posture. This is much safer compared to being physically lifted under the shoulders and legs. Mobile hoists deliver one of the easiest and safest methods for moving patients available today.

Allows Care to be Provided in the Home

Mobile hoists aren’t just for hospitals – they also provide major advantages for in-home caregiving. A floor lift system allows elderly or disabled patients to receive quality assisted care while remaining in their own homes rather than having to move to a facility. With a hoist, a single caregiver can safely transfer a patient for bathing, toileting or repositioning in bed even in homes without accessible bathrooms or patient rooms.

Hoists also eliminate the need for home modifications like door widening, ramp installation or stair lifts. This makes mobile hoists ideal for rental situations or when budget is an issue. Caregivers can move patients using hoists even in homes with stairs, narrow hallways or doorways. Expanding in-home care options helps improve quality of life and reduces costly hospitalizations.

Better Infection Control 

Mobile hoists support better infection control, an important benefit in healthcare environments. Because the hoist eliminates manual lifting and carrying, patients have less direct contact with caregiver hands and clothing. This reduces the risk of contact transmission of pathogens like drug-resistant bacteria. Hoists also avoid friction injuries that can occur when manually repositioning patients in bed, which helps prevent skin breakdown that can lead to dangerous systemic infections.

The battery-powered motor system of hoists requires far less hands-on work by staff when lifting or transferring patients. This allows for better adherence to infection control protocols. Facility infection rates may improve thanks to less handling of patients and easier compliance with personal protective equipment use like gloves.

Conclusion

Medical equipment Mobile patient hoists provide major advantages for injury prevention, mobility, comfort, adaptability and infection control in both healthcare facilities and home settings. They reduce the significant risks of manual lifting for caregivers while also promoting safety, dignity and independence for patients. With the many benefits they offer, mobile hoists are an invaluable investment to protect both caregivers and patients from the dangers of risky manual transfers. Healthcare facilities and home care providers should strongly consider implementing mobile hoist systems to boost safety and quality of care.