Hoist and trousers...

[Mayflower]

Morning,

My husband has now moved to a full hoist, legs just too weak for stand assist. However the carers are unsure of how to dress him on the bottom half. They can't find a way of getting his trousers on / off easily and even his pad is difficult to pull up.
Has anyone got any advice. he currently wears joggers bottom half. I'm threatening him with a nightie if all else fails.....

Katy

[Suefromwakey]

I hoist Albert fully now, he wears shorts and has done so for the past 12 months and never wears undies,

To do it I lay him fully down on the bed, oik one foot through the shorts and roll him over, at the moment he can still help me a bit by pulling as I push, pull shorts leg up to his knee, then roll over to the other side and do the other leg,

it then needs further rolling each side to get them comfy on to the hip,

My dread is when he can no longer pull himself a bit which is imminent, I have been given a slide sheet which is useless and will now get something called Emotion bed slide which I also doubt will help - he weights 17st and I will have no chance -

I laugh when I see demos on these kinds of things................they are usually showing a big burly bloke "Sliding" a frail small woman .............not in the real world all theory and no practicality,

Cant give any info as Albert doesn't wear a pad, using shorts, wide leg, means he can pull the leg up and use a bottle.

What worries me Mayflower is that carers don't know how to do it, seriously?

Sue

[Bowler]

Mayflower once we moved to 100% hoisting we both took the decision to completely stop dressing the bottom half as for us it became too energy sapping and stressful. We used throws or blankets of various thickness depending on the temperature to cover Ann. It was her idea which also helped speed up the whole toileting process which again reduced some of the stress.

[Doug Carpenter]

Katy - your carers MUST have training in how to do this. There are various ways

I am hoisted several times a day between bed, riser/recliner and commode. all involve degrees of (un)dressing.

It's straightforward with skilled carers.

Doug

[Ellie]

... the carers are unsure of how to dress him on the bottom half.

I agree that, for the benefit of carers, your husband, and you, there is a dire need for training.

Did the OT just leave the one sling? A toilet dress sling can make a difference but again, there's a knack to doing it.

There are probably helpful videos on YouTube. xx

[Rosemary6NT]

Interesting to hear all the above. My carers don’t seem to have had much training at all. There is a lot of brute force and ignorance involved with sling placement and pulling trousers up and down.

[Rosemary6NT]

Morning,

My husband has now moved to a full hoist, legs just too weak for stand assist. However the carers are unsure of how to dress him on the bottom half. They can't find a way of getting his trousers on / off easily and even his pad is difficult to pull up.
Has anyone got any advice. he currently wears joggers bottom half. I'm threatening him with a nightie if all else fails.....

Katy

I have just bought some (horrible looking) trousers that have a drop down panel over my bum for easy access when using the commode. I think they were from Adaptawear. They are totally ugly but reasonably functional 😞

[Mayflower]

Hi all,

Thanks for all this advice.
The carers are fab and experienced in using the hoist. The OT left us with a full sling and a toilet/showering sling. The key issue is my husband is reluctant to be rolled around on the bed. He worries about his feeding tube (didn't want it strapped down).

When using the stand assist, pads and trousers were put on while on his commode, then as he was lifted pulled up. The problem is pulling up or down under the toileting sling - he is very unpredictable with bowel movements particularly so it's not an option to go without a pad and inserts.

So Doug, after toileting are you hoisted back onto bed to be redressed then back onto your riser/recliner? Or do they manage to pull up trousers and pad while sling is still on?

The carers think there is another type of sling which might be it easier, so have asked for another OT visit. Also have asked incontinence nurse for different pads.

I guess he is going to have to get used to being rolled about a bit on the bed. We had hoped to mix and match between hoist and stand asssit for a bit so he could get used to the change, but things changed quite quickly.....He's without trousers today - and wrapped up warm.. maybe best option.


Finally.....Sue - do your really do that all on your own, I really don't know how I would manage witout the carers. Our CHC package has just been increased so he has 2 carers for each visit... and I know what you mean about those videos - particularly love / laugh at how tidy the bedrooms seem to be....

Katy

[Suefromwakey]

"Finally.....Sue - do your really do that all on your own, I really don't know how I would manage without the carers. Our CHC package has just been increased so he has 2 carers for each visit... and I know what you mean about those videos - particularly love / laugh at how tidy the bedrooms seem to be"....

Yes laughable Katy arn't they..........

I do do it all myself but think the time is on the horizon when I have to start with help............Keep putting that off for as long as poss and my current aim is to get to the end of summer, even the best laid plans eh

best wishes

[Doug Carpenter]

Sorry Katy!

Failing fingers = slow brief reply.

Rolling is not necessary.

I use a Mackworth Oak Universal sling in quick drying Parasilk. It is slipped down behind my shoulders in a sitting position and the leg extensions pulled through behind my knees.

Trousers are pulled up or down as necessary on bed or r/r chair.

See:

https://prismmedical.co.uk/product/mackworth-oak-universal-sling

And scroll down for demo video.

Hope this helps

Doug

[JamesW]

Hi, I spend all day in a powerchair with a sling under me. If I need the loo my carer will hoist me onto the bed (ceiling track hoist) and swap my all day sling for the bathroom sling. Whilst on the bed they will pull down my shorts or trousers (I generally wear shorts in the house if I’m not going out as it makes my catheter management a bit easier). I also go commando with no underpants, just my shorts. Then I am transferred to my shower chair and into the bathroom.

it’s a bit of a faff but it’s now what has to happen because I am no longer weight-bearing. Generally takes about 30 minutes before I am back in my powerchair again 😕

[JamesW]

Hi all,



The carers think there is another type of sling which might be it easier, so have asked for another OT visit. Also have asked incontinence nurse for different pads.

Hi,

I have two different slings. One which is a day sling which covers the whole of my back and bottom, it is very soft and has no prominent seams so it can stay under me whilst I am in my powerchair. The second is a thicker bathroom sling which has a cut outs for my bottom to protrude onto the shower chair which means it can stay under me whilst I am using the bathroom. I cannot however keep the bathroom sling on for too long as the seams are very thick and will cause pressure sores, hence why we need to swap back to the day sling.

hope this helps, James

[Mayflower]

Yes ,,, all advice/ and your own experiences/ routines welcome. It's good to know that you have all found ways of managing... Today has already gone better than yesterday.

Thanks all

[Ellie]

Today has already gone better than yesterday.

Oh, that's good to hear Katy - I'm sure, in time, you will all find a workable solution. xx

[Sarahw]

I despair of this problem!!! I brought it up with my physio, OT and continence ‘specialist’ almost a year ago and they are all shocked that it is hard to do! They should blinking try it. I’ve ditched all underwear and wearing a dress covers a multitude of sins. I also appreciate that if you’re in a rush you need a speedy way to get there. I think that as long as you’re in the privacy of your own home then wearing as little as possible is the only way to go. So many issues that nobody gives us help with. Thank goodness we have each other. Xx