As a new live-in carer hoisting may seem confusing and even a little scary. It need not be this way if it is used correctly.

Hoisting is a way of moving a person from one place to another when they are unable to do it themselves. People who require hoisting have limited or no mobility and need to be moved without placing you the carer in a position of lifting them up.

On your initial training you will have covered the fact that you never lift your client, they are moved from one place to the next in a safe manner which will also not injure you.

If the hoist is in place it should be used. You may come across carers who feel that using the hoist takes too long and will lift a client themselves. This is an unsafe practice and a bad habit to get into. You should report this to your agency if you come across it, because it is only a matter of time before an accident happens.

There are several different types of hoist, all of which do the job well if used correctly.

Ceiling hoists

After a full assessment an Occupational Therapist may have recommended that a ceiling hoist be installed in a client’s bedroom.

Ceiling hoists run along permanently fixed tracks. Because of this they are less versatile than other hoists. The advantage of a ceiling hoist is that it takes up far less room than other types of hoist because they do not have any part of them on the floor.

If you find yourself at a client where a ceiling hoist is in place, you will need to hoist them onto a wheelchair to move them out of the bedroom and into other rooms.

Once you have placed your client into the sling, it is very easy to lower the hoist and hook them up.

Most ceiling hoists are powered by mains electricity and will have a battery back-up and a manual handle to lower a client in case of a power outage. Some ceiling hoists are battery powered and in this case the battery needs to be charged overnight, every night.

Mobile hoists

These do not need any tracks on the ceiling as they are independent units. They are more flexible and can be used to move from one place in a room to another.

Mobile hoists are not recommended for long distances, so you would need to hoist your client into a wheelchair and then wheel them to another spot.

This type of hoist can be difficult to push especially if the floor is carpeted. They also take up floor space and most of them are battery powered and need to be charged at night.

The advantage of these mobile hoists is that you can move your client into a wheelchair, push them into another room and hoist them into another chair or onto the bed. They do not have to stay in the wheelchair.

The disadvantage of a mobile hoist is that they are heavy when you have a client in the sling and suspended. They can be difficult to turn and push into position.

Slings

Every hoist comes with a sling which has been made specially for that type. Do not be tempted to use a sling which is not meant for that particular hoist.

Every sling has a weight limit for which it is designed. You will find this information on the label. If the sling does not have a label, it is not suitable for use.

To sum up

Every hoist should have an information sheet attached to it. This will tell you when it was last serviced and the weight limit it can support.

If a hoist is in place at your new client, it is because it is necessary. Do not be tempted to lift a client yourself as you may injure your back as well as drop them. It is far better to make use of equipment than to get injured or hurt your client.

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