Hoist help!

[Deb]

Sorry if this question has been asked lots before. I've been looking at old posts and can't seem to find the answer.. its probably my incompetent searching !

Before lockdown we had our home assessed to see if it was suitable for ceiling hoists.. I think it is. My OT talked to us about getting a portable one in the future. She explained that it needs two people to operate it , one of which could be my husband. They wouldn't provide one unless we had an additional carer. We've been looking at videos and he is sure he could manage. We're keen to manage without carers for as long as possible.

My legs don't work at all with no movement and we manage transfers by my husband lifting them and me pushing sideways with my arms. One of my arms feels slightly weaker and I don't want to wait until the need for a hoist becomes a crisis.
is it possible for one person to operate a hoist ? The other more obvious question is how do you know when you're going to need the loo or need to transfer or do you just have to wait?

Thanks for your help. Its great to have this forum to get advice and support.
Love Debbie x

[Ellie]

Yes Debbie, it is a bit silly that a hoist is rarely, if ever, supplied to a single carer because the rule is there must be 2 carers (health & safety 🙄) even though 1 person can operate the hoist. Maybe there is another family member who can be a 'carer' and be trained to use the hoist with your husband, solely to get a hoist.

I presume you aren't talking about a sit-to-stand portable hoist? Your legs don't need to work, just weightbear, to use this type, btw.

For the full-sling hoist, often the hardest part of the whole hoist process is actually getting the sling on! You have some movement so, with a bit of practice, you and your husband will work out a system.

One thing about portable hoists is the floor coverings - deep pile carpets are a no-no, smooth floors are definitely easier.

I don't really understand what you mean by how do you know when you'll need the loo 🤔 Just don't leave it till you're bursting!! Their are toileting slings so you don't need to remove it completely whilst on the loo.

My family hoist me on their own, no problems - mine is a standing hoist, but I've no movement at all, can't shift my weight, yet getting me out of the bed and onto the loo is easyily done single-handedly. My formal carers do it in pairs.

Good luck.

Love Ellie.

[Bowler]

Deb I used to hoist Ann single handed because we didn’t use any Carers. She had no movement either. It was no issue. A couple of lessons with the OT and off we went. I agree with Ellie using on carpet is more difficult. We had carpet with minimal pile so it was ok. Think I’ve said before the bit that took the time was getting the right slings for the job. We found one with a high back was best for getting out of bed. Ann preferred one with a lower back for during the day but used with longer straps. We had two portable hoists. One we used in the lounge, dining room and kitchen. The other was permanently in the bedroom. We used this one for dressing as well as in and out of bed.

we also found having set regular toilet times worked best for us however occasionally we had to move a bit sharpish and to be fair we did have a couple of accidents.

[Deb]

Thank you so much Ellie and Phil,

Sorry not to be clear about when i would need to transfer... I meant how would you know when the carer needed to be there for you. I get so anxious about needing the b... loo that I go ages before I need ! I don't think a sit to stand aid would work because I can't weightbear but I appreciate the hint about training another ' carer ' One of our strapping sons would be fab !

I suppose like anything else its finding what works best for you and practising. We've been watching hoisting videos so now its time to watch something more uplifting ( excuse the appalling pun !)

I really appreciate your help. We're trying to be as informed as possible before we speak with my OT.

Love Debbie x

[GaryM]

..........

I presume you aren't talking about a sit-to-stand portable hoist? Your legs don't need to work, just weightbear, to use this type, btw.

..........

Love Ellie.

I said somewhere else that very often there's a solution to a problem that you're not even aware of. Never realised there were such things. I suppose that's why we have the services of an OT. If it's not a stupid question, what's the difference between legs that don't work and can't weight bear and legs that don't work and can weight bear?

[Bowler]

I’ll try the leg bit Gary. For about a year Ann couldn’t walk but with the use of a mo lift she could stand long enough to be hoisted out of a chair, bed or indeed the car. It’s because the strap that went round her to the lift helped support her. It was easy to put it into the back of the car. It was this bit of kit that allowed us to keep driving to Spain longer than we thought we would.

[Ellie]

Debbie, I tend to go to the loo at regular times, more or less tied in to when my carers come in during the day. Hopefully once you've the hoisting mastered and feel comfortable with it, you'll be less anxious about loo trips and your timing will improve!

Those hoisting videos make me laugh/cringe - that's not what happens in real life 😉

Love Ellie.

[Ellie]

If it's not a stupid question, what's the difference between legs that don't work and can't weight bear and legs that don't work and can weight bear?

No such thing as a stupid question, Gary

My situation is: the muscle tone in my legs is so high that they support my weight when I'm stood up with assistance - I think it's called functional spasticity. I couldn't move or lift my feet even 1mm, nor do I have even a modicum of balance, but I can use a standing hoist as I can weight bear and the sling and hoist provide balance.

If my legs didn't have this muscle tone, I'd need to use a full/passive hoist. My arms, in contrast, have very low tone and are floppy droppy upper body appendages 😌

Love Ellie.

[Barry52]

Hi Debbie,

Ask your OT about ceiling track hoists. A friend of mine had this installed and her husband could manage it easily. They did live in a bungalow so it was easy to install.

[GaryM]

No such thing as a stupid question, Gary

My situation is: the muscle tone in my legs is so high that they support my weight when I'm stood up with assistance - I think it's called functional spasticity. I couldn't move or lift my feet even 1mm, nor do I have even a modicum of balance, but I can use a standing hoist as I can weight bear and the sling and hoist provide balance.

If my legs didn't have this muscle tone, I'd need to use a full/passive hoist. My arms, in contrast, have very low tone and are floppy droppy upper body appendages 😌

Love Ellie.

Thanks Ellie. I suppose until my legs weaken further, I won't know what they'll be like. My left arm is definitely floppy droppy.

[Jo jo]

Hi Deb, my OT got us a ceiling hoist fitted in the lounge as that’s where my partner now has his bed. I am 4”11 and 9 stone and I use the hoist on my own to transfer my partner who is 5”10 and 18 stone with no limb movement. Don’t get me wrong it’s hard work and not easy at all and takes a while but they were quite happy for me to be doing it on my own as I had no family near by to help. Hope you manage to get things sorted.

[matthew55]

Well the good news is he will get lighter, did I say good? 😁x

[denise]

Oh Matthew 😄

[Ellie]

Deb Debbie, did you get a hoist sorted yet, be it a one person ceiling hoist or a 'two person' portable hoist?

Love Ellie.

[Deb]

Thanks for asking Ellie,

I've been putting this off ( its not like me !) but I know i need to get it sorted. I am speaking to my OT this week and someone needs to come to check our ceilings are suitable. We can then decide but I'm leaning towards the " two person " portable hoist.

Love Debbie x