safe patient handling--ceiling lifts

I had two ceiling lifts in my home; one in a bedroom, one in the bathroom. If the lifts have been properly positioned during the installation they are great. The only downside that I found is that the lift has limited placement. If where you need to place the patient is not in alignment with the lift it just won't happen. Overall I was very pleased.

We have Liko brand of lifts installed in the hospital where I work. On my unit we have 16 rooms with lifts and also various portable units. Honestly, the portable units hardly ever get used, so I don't think those were a good investment. We've had lifts for a year. Staff still have to be reminded to use them. They are a real back saver.

We looked at about 7 brands of lifts for about 6 months and ended up going with Romedic. They where kind of high priced compared to some. We went with them though because they where very helpful and knowledeable compared to the rest when it came to training and clinical applications. They also turned out to have good customer support. They only negative I could say though was the price compared to some.

One of my home care patients had a ceiling lift in his bedroom. I never had to use it and was a little afraid of it to be honest. I don't like the idea of having this lift only positioned in one place. The traditional lift is mobile and can be used anywhere, making it more useful.

On our OrthoTrauma floor all the room have Liko Ceiling lifts on tracks that allow you to lift the patient from the bed and move them about the room. Thay are used regularly and work well. All new nurses are required to take a course (2hrs I think) on their use and are encouraged to use them. One room on the floor has a double lift for bariatric patients.
My opinion...great idea, comfortable for both nurse and patient alike. We also have sit/stand lifts but they are rarely used.