Just Hangin' Around

Just Hangin' Around

This post is part of a Winheld's World series on the equipment on which I depend on a daily basis.

No, that's not a medieval torture device pictured above. It's the Hoyer lift I use to transfer me between my bed and my wheelchair and between my wheelchair and the toilet. The lift is a major back-saver for my caregivers, but it is also the safest and most comfortable way for me to be moved.

As you can see above, the lift's metal chains connect at four points to the nylon sling on which I sit. The sling, pictured below, has a cut-out for toileting purposes. Thus, it is of the utmost importance that the white sling be properly centered under me!

Funny story: When the hydraulic pump on the lift started to wear out a few years ago, using the toilet proved to be quite the adventure. Every two minutes, my attendant had to come in and raise me.

"That's fastest you've ever gone to the bathroom," she remarked afterward.

Damn right!

Anyway, several companies beside Hoyer make patient lifts. There are various styles, including some whose slings can be removed once the person is sitting in his or her wheelchair. My style of lift, actually called the Hoyer Classic, is considered a dinosaur by many in the healthcare field.

Forgive me, but they aren't the ones whose asses are hanging in the air. Call me old-fashioned, but I'll stick with what's familiar when I'm the one up there!