Ceiling Lifts – 10 Key Tips

Ceiling lifts are a unique type of patient lift that lifts a person up and transfers them usually from a bed or toilet to a wheelchair.  Major advances in product design have resulted in many options which have expanded the solutions for clients in need of transfer devices.  Prior to ceiling lifts, a floor mounted patient lift was the most common lifting device used.  Patient lifts are difficult to move on carpets, somewhat difficult to use for both the end user and caregiver and are a constant visual reminder to the family of the disability.  Ceiling lifts are less visually apparent, easier to use that floor mounted patient lifts and have more flexibility in use and application.

Ten Key Ceiling Lift Tips:

1. A portable ceiling lift permits the caregiver to move the lift device from room to room thereby giving the patient flexibility in use than a permanent mounted ceiling lift that is attached to the track.

2. Curved track allows for a ceiling lift installation to accomodate more complicated needs of the client and room application.  An example would be that a client could be lifted up from the bed and be transferred to the bathroom via a curved or straight track installation.

3. Some ceiling lift tracks can be attached to pressure fitted posts that go from the floor to ceiling.  There are also telescoping type tracks to cover a 12 ft. distance over a bed.

4. Ceiling lifts are electric powered (permanent models) or battery operated (portable models).  Many models have an audio beep when the battery is low and needs charging.  Most battery operated models will allow for the patient to be lowered when the battery is depleted.

5. There are a variety of slings available.  They range from a basic hammock sling to a walking type sling.  Most ceiling lift users prefer two slings.

6. Ceiling lift manufacturers have increased they installer certification mandates in the past few years.  There are two areas of safety concern within the patient lifting industry.  One is the proper training of caregiver staff in the use of slings.  Most of the institutional setting accidents have occured with a patient falling out of a sling due to improper sling application with a specific client’s physical needs.  The other area of safety concern withing the patient lift industry is the proper installation of the ceiling lift track.  Specific installation instructions to the installer needs to be followed such as unistrut placement, track joints, bracket spacing and fastener specifications.

7. Unique options are being offered by most ceiling lift manufacturers.  Such options as;   Automatic return to charger station, turntables to permit multi directional applications, special door header devices, stretcher slings and teloscoping rails.

8. Consolidation of ceiling lift manufacturers is a trend.  The company that owns Argo, (large instituational patient lift supplier) purchased BHM Medical (ceiling lift manufacturer) a few years ago.  Handicare (Europe based company) purchased Romedic (patient transfer supplier) last year.  More consolidation of the ceiling lift industry is anticipated in the coming years. This is a good trend in that the research and development departments of these firms are large enough to develop more advances in product design which can only but help the end user.

9. Government regulation is a possibility.  In North America, the FDA (USA) and Health Canada have insisted that the industry regulate itself at this point in time.  This has resulted in the ceiling lift suppliers insisting on installer certification in the past year or so.

10. Ceiling lift prices have been dropping in the past few years for a number of reasons.  The increase in knowledge about ceiling lifts as being available has increased the size of the market thereby decreasing prices due to economies of scale in manufacturing.  Supplier consolidation with veritical integration has also had a bit of a downward pressure on pricing.  Upward pressure on pricing is coming from installer certification which is eliminating a good percentage of the companies handling the product. Also, the pending government regulation of the product could dramatically increase the pressure to rise prices.