Technology and machines are being used every day for the ease and betterment of mankind, the hydraulic patient lift is another invention that gives easy and affordable ways for transferring patients from beds or chairs.
In this post, we will shed on lights what is a hydraulic patient lift and how to choose the best one for yourself.
Our Picks for Best Hydraulic Patient Lifts
If you want to make a quick decision, these 3 patient lifts in the post could be good choice, otherwise, you will find more details in the reviews below.
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Best hydraulic patient lift reviews:
The best hydraulic lifts out of all the variety of lifts present in the market are chosen to make the choice easier for you. Their reviews are:
1. Invacare Personal Hydraulic – 9805P – Patient Body Lift:
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This hydraulic patient body lift by Invacare is a basic and inexpensive patient lift which is constructed using painted steel. In this product, Invacare has put extra effort into making the whole process safe for the patient as well as for the caregiver.
Usually, the caregiver’s back takes the strain in hydraulic lifts but this one is made safer for them. For easy patient transfer, padded swivel bars are used and it provides a 360 degrees rotation.
The weight capacity of this patient lift is 450 pounds. The assembly and disassembly of this product are very easy.
Pros:
- Avoids back injuries for both caregivers and patients.
- Has a 6 points attachment.
- Can easily pick the patient lying on the floor.
- Durable and sturdy.
- The pump handle is made to maximize convenience and comfort for the caregiver.
Cons:
- There are no locks around the wheels which can prove inconvenient.
2. Personal Hydraulic Patient Body Lift:
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This completely basic but pretty useful hydraulic patient lift has a weight bearing capacity of 450 pounds. The swivel bars used are dual purpose and are completely padded.
They have a total of 6 points attachment but can be changed between 6 points and 4 points according to the caregiver’s convenience.
The manual hydraulic pump makes picking up the patient easily and does not require many pumps. This pump is designed to give the most control to the caregiver.
It has five inches large front and rear casters which according to the users has helped a lot in the lifting of the patient, especially from the floor.
Pros:
- The capacity is ideal for lifting patients of all sizes and statures.
- The large casters make moving around easier.
- The base of the lift is adjustable.
- The lift overall is very durable and sturdy.
Cons:
- The casters don’t come with locks. These locks have to be purchased separately and cost more.
3. Medline Hydraulic Patient Lifts:
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Medline is a well-known and reputable brand in the work of assistive equipment. This specific hydraulic lift is made a study and durable so that it stays intact and workable for a long time.
It comes in four pieces that can be easily screwed together without even reading the manual.
Many people are very happy with its working as it makes the whole process of lifting the patient up and transferring very easy.
It provides convenience to both the patient and the caregiver. With a few pumps, it lifts the patient from the ground to approximately 4 feet in height.
Unlike all other hydraulic lifts, this one comes with a sling set of its own. The string is very durable and is made of nylon.
Pros:
- Sofas, chairs, bed, toilet seat etc. every kind of transferring is made easy with this lift.
- Can endure weight up to 400 pounds.
- Can also help the patient to stand from a sitting position.
- It is very user-friendly.
Cons:
- The base of the lift is very difficult to adjust.
4. Get-U-up Hydraulic Stand-up Lift:
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This hydraulic lift by Invacare is basically an assistive device to help the patient in standing in and transferring from one place to another.
It is designed to be ergonomic as well as economic and makes the daily tasks of patient care very easy.
It has an adjustable knee support that is padded to keep the knees from getting injured during the whole process.
The hand rests, knee support, the height of the lift etc. everything is adjustable according to the height and body structure of the patient. The base of the lift is made to be non-slip to prevent all kinds of injuries.
Toilet transferring is usually difficult with other lifts, but this lift was designed specifically to make all these tasks easier.
Pros:
- The size of the lift is such that it can be moved anywhere efficiently.
- The casters of the lift are made to be less resistant.
- The pump is easy to use and handle.
- Can be easily adjusted according to the person.
Cons:
- For a person completely mobility handicapped, this lift does not work properly.
5. Drive Medical Hydraulic Patient Lift:
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This hydraulic lift by drive medical is a very affordable and reasonable option that provides all the basic features topped with durability and sturdiness.
It can easily handle weight up to 450 pounds and can also bend down and straighten up which means lifting the patient from the floor to shoulder level is no problem.
It comes in black color which makes keeping it clean easier. It is designed to have 6 points cradle which makes the picking up and lowering of the patients very easy and convenient.
High-performance hydraulic features are added which prevents jerks and shocks from reaching the patient. The casters have added breaks which prevents any mishaps from happening.
Pros:
- The product is marked as very durable and sturdy.
- Its huge casters with minimum friction make movement easy.
- The sleek design helps in fitting the lift through doors and transporting it.
- Has shock absorption included?
Cons:
- Transferring the patient from wheelchair to car with this can be inconvenient.
6. Invacare Personal Hydraulic (Medium R110) Patient Body Lift Kit With Mesh Sling:
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This is one of the most famous models of Invacare. With its mind-blowing features and long life, it is by far the best hydraulic patient lift.
With just a few pumps of the hydraulic pump, the caretaker can easily lift the patient up to approximately five feet without any jerks or shocks.
With a three years warranty on the lift and weight capacity of 450 pounds, it is also equipped with a mesh sling that provides six-point attachment to the swivel bar. This makes the whole process of transferring easier and sturdy.
The handles of the lift are elongated which provide a better torque and stability during the transfer.
Pros:
- Has a good range of height.
- Comes with three years warranty on the lift in case of breakage.
- The overall design is made to improve the balance.
- The tires are smooth and have minimum friction.
Cons:
- There are no brakes or locks added to the tires.
What is a hydraulic patient lift?
A hydraulic patient lift is an assistive device for patients who cannot move on their own or shift between the wheelchair, bed, and toilet without anyone to lift them.
This lift, as the name suggests, uses the laws of physics and hydraulic machines and helps in the lifting of patients to transfer them from one place to another.
Basically, it is an assistive device for the caregiver, it cannot be one-handedly operated by the patient alone, rather there should be someone to wrap the sling across the body and secure it before the lift starts the lifting process.
Otherwise, there is a chance of a very bad injury.
These lifts are easily operable at home and can be used by anyone, but they don’t come with a sling set separately rather the user has to purchase a separate sling set.
It is advised that the sling set chosen is according to the weight of the patient and the durability is checked before buying. If the sling breaks during the transferring process it can result in fatal injuries.
There are six different types of lifts on the market. Each one of them has its own pros and cons.
The manual hydraulic lift is the most common one, which requires manual effort to lift the patient. Using hydraulic power, by turning the pulley the patient is lifted. This is the most used hydraulic lift because of its low cost and durability. It is also low maintenance.
Another hydraulic patient lift that is gaining popularity nowadays is the electric lift that also uses hydraulic power but derives that power from electricity rather than manual effort.
These lifts are assigned a certain speed and rotation momentum with which the patient is lifted. Due to the pre-installed speeds, it is safer and more efficient but with more sophistication comes a higher price. These are good for use at the home.
For patients that weight more than 450 pounds, normal lifts don’t work for them which is why heavy-duty lifts are used. These lifts are usually automated and are run on electricity. From lift to pulleys to the machinery used inside, everything is made heavy-duty.
The last but not the least is stand uplifts. These lifts are not proper lifting lifts rather they help the patient to stand up for washing face or brushing teeth etc. these lifts are available in manual as well as electric modes.
Who needs a hydraulic patient lift?
Usually, people or elders who have mobility problems require these hydraulic patient lifts. The reasons for their mobility problems can be a fracture, paralysis or even psychological problems.
These lifts are mobile and can be moved around the house for easy transfer of the patient.
These machines are extensively used in hospitals where they need to transfer patients with physical disabilities, post-surgery disability or fractures.
Apart from hospitals, these lifts are extensively used in nursing homes or old age homes where many elderly people live. They usually have a few people who have physical disabilities and need help with transferring.
Most people invest in or rent hydraulic lifts for their homes as well if they have a family member with mobility problems.
Having these lifts for patients have proved to be an important time and again. A few reasons to invest in a hydraulic lift are:
- The caretaker has to pick up the patient and transfer him/her from place to place. This is not safe and can cause difficulty for the caretaker.
- During the manual lifting and transferring process, the patient can get injured or hurt which results in further complications as their immunity and healing process tends to be weaker.
- During transferring the patient to the bed or from the bed, the manual lifting requires two to three phases which is very uncomfortable for the patient as well as the caretaker.
- The jerks during the manual lifting cause strain on the spinal cord.
- Manual lifting can result in bruises all over the body.
How to choose the best hydraulic patient lift?
Like all other products on the market, hydraulic lifts come in different sizes, shapes, qualities and have multiple features as well, which is why choosing one for yourself can get a little tricky.
Some of the things you should keep in mind while looking for a hydraulic lift are:
Weight bearing capacity:
This is one of the most important features of the hydraulic lift. The weight that the lift can bear is pre-determined and all the features are made according to it.
This feature is extremely important for the safety of the patient as well as the caretaker. Usually, for overweight patients, electric lifts are safer than manual lifts.
Type of lift:
For this, you need to understand what you need the lift for? Some lifts are designed and constructed for the purpose of lifting the patient to and from the bed, they usually have smaller necks.
The standing lifts have longer necks, they can be used to help the patient stand up as well as in lifting from the bed.
The structure of these lifts is narrower, which makes it easier for them to fit through places and move around. For people who always stay at bed, a leg rest pillow may help to improve blood circulation.
Operation:
As mentioned earlier, there is an electric powered, battery powered as well as manual lifts. Manual lifts are inexpensive as compared to electric and battery powered lifts, but the electric lifts are safer as compared to manual lifts.
Attachment points:
Attachment points are basically the places where the sling will be attached to the lift. These attachment points bring more stability to the patient.
The more the attachment points the distributed the weight will be and there will be more stability in the transferring of the patient.
Construction material:
A different number of materials are used to construct different kinds of lifts. A variety of plastic and metal combinations are used.
The construction material depends on the kind of weight that the lift will be lifting. Heavy-duty lifts are usually made with metal.
Conclusion:
Our top pick from the best hydraulic patient lifts mentioned is the Invacare Personal Hydraulic - 9805P Patient Body Lift Kit with Mesh Sling. It is not very expensive nor is very huge to handle. Moreover, it also weights less so transporting it is very easy.
If you have a person at home who requires mobility help, then investing in a good quality hydraulic lift is the best thing you can do for their and your own safety. This not prevents severe injuries to the caregiver and the patient but also prevents small shocks and jerks from reaching the body and disrupting the disks in the spine.
