Using a hoist

[Lostforever]

Hi
Does anyone use a hoist? If so how did you learn how to use it? We have carers but because my oh has dementia I find it hard to get them to realise there is no point in expecting him to tell them when he hurts. So I want to work out the best way to move and handle him before I let them loose.Any guidance anyone please?

[Jimbo]

If it was supplied through your/his OT, perhaps they could give you some tuition.

[Greta]

My brother is a bariatric patient. A hoist has to be used to wash him and to put him in a wheelchair, which he sits in for two hours a day, or to go to hospital. We call a special (bariatric) ambulance but the paramedics are not allowed to use the hoist. Once one came who had had hoist training and she said that paramedics might be allowed to use the hoist, but there are so many different ones that they are frightened of liability if there is an accident. She recommended that I get hoist training but said it is expensive.

I have since heard that family members are allowed to use the hoist without training, but I was happier with the training.

The only hoist training I could get was by Pat Alexander of Herts Handling in St Albans. When she was at a hospital near here (I am in East London), she came to our house and gave me two hours' training, I think, costing about three hundred pounds. I practised hoisting her with my brother's hoist. We didn't hoist him because it would have been stressful. I learnt a lot about the problems of the two types of slings we have and how to make sure he is sitting properly in the sling. Actually it is not that hard to use the hoist and the main thing I learnt was how to attach the sling straps properly to the hoist.

After this, I found that paramedics would help me with the hoist since I knew what I was doing. I can also allow two hours in the wheelchair. We have careworkers in four times a day, but if my brother went into the wheelchair in the morning and waited for them to release him, it would vary between three hours and five hours. This way, I can put him back to bed. I don't take the sling off though.

Your position may vary, if your caree doesn't weigh thirty stone! Your local authority might also have a better way of getting cheaper training for you.

However, your careworkers should have had hoist training, and OT should have been involved. Our hoist is a ceiling-track one - maybe you are thinking of a freestanding hoist.

[Lostforever]

Thank you Greta. Its precisely the point that family members don't need training that bothers me.Husband weighs 19 stone and the hoist is a ceiling hoist. Yes I will be checking that the carers are trained.We are self funding and I am having to keep an eye on how much I pay out. That's why I want some form of training but not from the carers. We have occasional differences of opinion about who makes the decisions.
Will look into the training.

[susieq]

You could try contacting your local Carer's Centre and see if they have any information on where you could get any training.

[Greta]

Hi lostforever,

I didn't mean you should get training from the careworkers. I just misunderstood what you wrote - I thought you meant your careworkers weren't trained to use the hoist. I am sure not all of them take training seriously or get it at the time when they have to put it into practice.
We are also self-funding and I think it's bad that special ambulances can't use a hoist and my training cost so much. I am pretty sure the social services or maybe GPs can get information on where to get training where you are. For instance, if a group of careworkers are being given training, you might be able to get into that more cheaply. Phone Pat Alexander's secretary - they are googlable, maybe not St Albans but Luton, but they can advise on cheaper and other alternatives. Just tell them you can't afford that much!
http://www.manual-handling-practitioner ... ining.html

[Sandra Dillon]

I care for my fairly frail 100-year-old Mum with help from 2 carers once a day to get her up and dressed. Mum is unable to stand or weight-bear and has little upper-body strength. She's also got a curved spine which means she flops over sideways.
We now have a ceiling hoist - one track in the bedroom and one in the sitting room. I manage this fine on my own during the day and getting Mum to bed. It's really important to get the correct sling - both the correct type and size. Use the loops at head end and legs end which get her into the right shape for the chair or bed you're moving them to. That way it's easier to get them comfortable. Also line up the chairs / commode etc with the direction of the track. It's very difficult to push a person hanging in the sling into the correct place. Gravity always takes over, and if you're off-line you'll be tugging or propping up with pillows.
Also take care that the straps don't cut across their hands or arms. Kepp arms and hands folded across if possible.
Good luck, it's not too difficult once you get a bit of practice (which you will get lots of!)

[Catherine Ross]

Hi Lost forever
I used a Hoist for a few years and found it easy. but if you bought it yourself N. H.workers
will not use it.If you go to Utube will get a video showing you how to work all types of hoists
hope this will help you.

[Henrietta]

How about a St John Ambulance course?

https://www.sja.org.uk/sja/training-cou ... iders.aspx

[bowlingbun]

I'm concerned. Care is means tested by social services but hoists should surely be provided free of charge by the NHS under these circumstances? I have a book about who pays for what, especially equipment for older people, but sadly I won't have time to look for the right section before I leave for Crete tomorrow. Have a word with the Carers UK helpline and see what they say.