Don't forget the Easy Pivot lift :)

[Guest guest]

For those caregivers needing an excellent transfer machine,

consider the Easy Pivot. & I have used the Hoyer - forget

it! - did not work well for us at all.

The Easy Pivot is very simple, stable & quick to use. It also

makes perineal care so very much easier, say after a BM in the

diaper.

has not been able to help in his transfers, support his own weight,

turn over in bed, etc., for quite a while now - nadah. He also is

~230 lbs. & used to be 6'2 " .

I am able to transfer him easily with the Easy Pivot (5'4 " - won't

tell you the weight :}

I don't know how it would work with a peg tube, however.

The only drawback is that it will not get someone up off the floor.

(For that you call 911 & ask for a 'handicap assist'.)

You'll find info. on the Easy Pivot at

http://www.easypivot.com/

They are not cheap! Our insurance paid for 's - after

at first denying it & giving us a Hoyer, then finding out it really

did not work for us.

With (((Hugs))),

Charmayne

[Guest guest]

Charmayne,

Medicare also bought me a Invacare (Hoyer- type) lift, which will not

work, but I see the Easy Pivot as having the same problem - i.e. getting

into the shower. Getting the patient off the floor is easy with the

Hoyer type, you just roll the patient onto their side, fold the sling and

sodie it halfway, roll them back and pull the folded half out from under

them, hook it to the chains from the lift and pump them up ( Pan time

)

The ideal is the system that the Moller's have, BUT it is expensive.

) I envy Terri as she can lift from anywhere and move him anyplace.

In some cases it does take several transfers, but all lifting is done by

the hoist - the caregiver does lift the hoist from hook to hook - but it

only weighs about 15 pounds. Her master bathroom does have the capability

of going anywhere. However if is all the way downstairs, she

has to take him upstairs (5 transfers) to go to the toilet. There

is no "perfect" answer to this problem. She can add a hook in a downstairs

bathroom and transfer him directly from the w/c.

I am currently thinking about all options and getting a carpenter in

early this week to give me an estimate on modifying my home to allow better

access to the hall bath (currently when you open the door it blocks access

to the bathtub and there is not enough room to take the chair our of the

way to close the door). I have also been searching the internet for

alternative shower/tub options. I do have a severe space problem

that the architect put into the design - they did not think of handicapped

people at all.

I am interested in the sling/harness that the Easy-Pivot uses, as I

think it could be adapted to a Hoyer type lift. How do you get the

strap under 's bottom out of the way to change his brief? Does

he just stay on the chest rest as you slip the strap out for a few minutes?

I see the aregiver placing her foot on the edge of the platform as she

lowers him - does it have a tendancy tend to "kick" out or up, as he gets

close to the chair and his weight shifts beyond the wheels?

Actually the same company has a support stand which looks promising

for early MSA patients with beginning balance problems also -

http://www.easypivot.com/standers/

Take care, Bill and Charlotte

==========================

Charmayne wrote:

For those caregivers needing an excellent

transfer machine, consider the Easy Pivot. & I have used

the Hoyer - forget it! - did not work well for us at all.

The Easy Pivot is very simple, stable & quick to

use. It also makes perineal care so very much easier, say after a

BM in the diaper.

has not been able to help in his transfers, support

his own weight, turn over in bed, etc., for quite a while now - nadah.

He also is ~230 lbs. & used to be 6'2".

I am able to transfer him easily with the Easy Pivot

(5'4" - won't tell you the weight :}

I don't know how it would work with a peg tube, however.

The only drawback is that it will not get someone up off

the floor. (For that you call 911 & ask for a 'handicap assist'.)

You'll find info. on the Easy Pivot at

http://www.easypivot.com/

They are not cheap! Our insurance paid for 's

- after at first denying it & giving us a Hoyer, then finding out it

really did not work for us.

With (((Hugs))),

Charmayne

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[Guest guest]

Bill makes the Hoyer lift sound easy. It may well be true for Bill and tiny little Charlotte. I find the Hoyer lift takes two people to be able to use with my husband. It takes both people to get the sling underhim, if he is on the floor (which cause most of our problems). Then while one person pumps the lift the other person has to anchor the lift to keeping it from tipping over.

Thisis with the help of two different RN's and a PT specialists.

Bill I am happy that it is easy for you to use. You need all of the support you can get.

Bathroom: A couple of years a go, we tore out our bathroom and a walk in closet to make it more accessible for Speedy. Even so, it is a tight squeeze to get him and equipment in the room. Our house was built in 1973 when we were young and thought we were invinsible.

We had the built infiber glass tub chopped up in pieces and then used that space for a new ceramic tile shower with a floor drain and a built in seat.

I think each of our cases is different and we have to do what we can with the resources we have. It seems as though everything that we have done that we thought was going to be perfect, because of changes in my husband's condition, those perfect situations last only 6 months-year or less. We began with probably enough money to be retired on, but we have had to use so much for making the house accessable or equipment for disabled, that financial things are changing rapidly.

The Sure Hands company that I mentioned in an earlier note has a really strong portable lift that you would have no trouble tipping over, but still difficult to roll on carpet.

Best wishes to all of you.

Marilyn in TN

[Guest guest]

Marilyn,

You say your Hoyer lift tends to tip over when lifting? That should

not happen. In order to tip, the center of gravity has to get beyond

the legs. Are you centering the pickup arm over ? Have

they shown you how to get the sling under him, by folding it , rolling

him on his side, pushing the sling under him, rolling him to the other

side and pulling the sling through - like changing the brief in bed?

It is tough to get the sling out from under her if she is in the W/C

(and back under her later). Charlotte is not skinny at 130 pounds.

She was also 5' 10" so she is not tiny.

The major problem in our house with the lift, is getting it to where

we want to use it. Unfortunately, I can not get it into any of the

bathrooms. My house was also built in 1973 and they skimped on bathroom

sizes back then. We got a split foyer which comes into the house

to a landing where you either go up 7 steps or down 5 steps. They

also built our bathrooms with Corian ( the imitation marble), so remodeling

will be expensive.

Changing briefs has become a major chore as Charlotte can no longer

help at all. I don't know what they did in the nursing home, but

all of her stools are soft now also, what a pain )

Take care, Bill and Charlotte

=================================

and Marilyn wrote:

Bill makes the Hoyer lift sound easy. It may

well be true for Bill and tiny little Charlotte. I find the Hoyer

lift takes two people to be able to use with my husband. It takes

both people to get the sling underhim, if he is on the floor (which cause

most of our problems). Then while one person pumps the lift the other

person has to anchor the lift to keeping it from tipping over.

Thisis with the help of two different RN's and a PT specialists.

Bill I am happy that it is easy for you to use. You need all of

the support you can get.

Bathroom: A couple of years a go, we tore out our bathroom and

a walk in closet to make it more accessible for Speedy. Even so,

it is a tight squeeze to get him and equipment in the room.

Our house was built in 1973 when we were young and thought we were invinsible.

We had the built infiber glass tub chopped up in pieces and then used

that space for a new ceramic tile shower with a floor drain and a built

in seat.

I think each of our cases is different and we have to do what we can

with the resources we have. It seems as though everything that we

have done that we thought was going to be perfect, because of changes in

my husband's condition, those perfect situations last only 6 months-year

or less. We began with probably enough money to be retired on, but

we have had to use so much for making the house accessable or equipment

for disabled, that financial things are changing rapidly.

The Sure Hands company that I mentioned in an earlier note has

a really strong portable lift that you would have no trouble tipping over,

but still difficult to roll on carpet.

Best wishes to all of you.

Marilyn in TN

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[Guest guest]

Bill, I hope you will try a split leg sling. It's not easy but so much easier to get under patient in w/c and recliner that the solid sling. I do it at least 4 times a day. Ginger

Re: Don't forget the Easy Pivot lift

Marilyn, You say your Hoyer lift tends to tip over when lifting? That should not happen. In order to tip, the center of gravity has to get beyond the legs. Are you centering the pickup arm over ? Have they shown you how to get the sling under him, by folding it , rolling him on his side, pushing the sling under him, rolling him to the other side and pulling the sling through - like changing the brief in bed? It is tough to get the sling out from under her if she is in the W/C (and back under her later). Charlotte is not skinny at 130 pounds. She was also 5' 10" so she is not tiny. The major problem in our house with the lift, is getting it to where we want to use it. Unfortunately, I can not get it into any of the bathrooms. My house was also built in 1973 and they skimped on bathroom sizes back then. We got a split foyer which comes into the house to a landing where you either go up 7 steps or down 5 steps. They also built our bathrooms with Corian ( the imitation marble), so remodeling will be expensive. Changing briefs has become a major chore as Charlotte can no longer help at all. I don't know what they did in the nursing home, but all of her stools are soft now also, what a pain ) Take care, Bill and Charlotte ================================= and Marilyn wrote: Bill makes the Hoyer lift sound easy. It may well be true for Bill and tiny little Charlotte. I find the Hoyer lift takes two people to be able to use with my husband. It takes both people to get the sling underhim, if he is on the floor (which cause most of our problems). Then while one person pumps the lift the other person has to anchor the lift to keeping it from tipping over. Thisis with the help of two different RN's and a PT specialists. Bill I am happy that it is easy for you to use. You need all of the support you can get. Bathroom: A couple of years a go, we tore out our bathroom and a walk in closet to make it more accessible for Speedy. Even so, it is a tight squeeze to get him and equipment in the room. Our house was built in 1973 when we were young and thought we were invinsible. We had the built infiber glass tub chopped up in pieces and then used that space for a new ceramic tile shower with a floor drain and a built in seat. I think each of our cases is different and we have to do what we can with the resources we have. It seems as though everything that we have done that we thought was going to be perfect, because of changes in my husband's condition, those perfect situations last only 6 months-year or less. We began with probably enough money to be retired on, but we have had to use so much for making the house accessable or equipment for disabled, that financial things are changing rapidly. The Sure Hands company that I mentioned in an earlier note has a really strong portable lift that you would have no trouble tipping over, but still difficult to roll on carpet. Best wishes to all of you. Marilyn in TN

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[Guest guest]

Virginia,

Thanks for the info. One of the sales people did recommend that

sling, I will look at it.

Take care, Bill and Charlotte

===============================

Virginia Willmann wrote:

Bill,

I hope you will try a split leg sling. It's not easy but so much

easier to get under patient in w/c and recliner that the solid sling. I

do it at least 4 times a day. Ginger