Do I Need a Ceiling Mounted Lift System?
Posted on by Eric Rubel
Thanks to Google and many other search engines, you can easily find a lot of information about a ceiling mounted lift systems that touts all of the features and benefits. But, rarely do they answer the question; do I really need a ceiling mounted lift system?
To answer this question, you'll first need to take time to do the following:
- Focus on the person's mobility needs and assess their current level of mobility
- Factor in any changes that could affect this person's ability over time.
- Consider the caregiver's level of ability to provide and assess this level of functionality over time.
Working with Therapists & Doctors
This is where the client’s therapists and doctors will help. Occupational therapists, in particular, are trained to evaluate a client’s level of functionality in an area they call Adult Daily Living Skills. Armed with this information, it is much easier to make decisions on which type of equipment is best suited for the client’s needs and what level of benefit this equipment will provide.
At Lifeway, we work closely with the client and their family as well as review the recommendations of doctors and therapists in planning the solution that best meets the client’s needs. This sounds expensive, and it sometimes can be. In fact, many times the cost will lead clients and their families to choose the most affordable solution over the safest solution. However, choosing the most affordable solution may be the wrong solution, and can potentially lead to a dangerous situation. The safety of the client always needs to be considered.
Floor Mounted Lift Systems
An example of the above situation is choosing a floor-mounted lift system (Hoyert) instead of a ceiling-mounted track system. Many people will find that a floor-mounted lift system is more difficult to use than a ceiling-mounted track because they transfer the client’s weight to three small casters that need to roll over the floor of the client’s home. These castors may roll fairly well on hard surfaces, but they will not roll well over carpet or thresholds.
Overhead Lift Systems
An overhead system essentially takes the client’s weight out of the equation and transfers it to a specially designed track and trolley that has extremely low rolling resistance over the entire length of the track.
Ceiling mounted lift systems can also be customized to fit the client’s exact requirements - from simple to complex including moving from room to room or to multiple locations in one room. Our goal at Lifeway Mobility is to factor all of the client’s needs, abilities, and budget into account when designing a solution to meet their needs.
For more information on our ceiling-mounted lift systems, please contact us. We would more than happy to answer all of your questions about ceiling-mounted lifts.
We have been proving ceiling-mounted lifts to the greater Chicago area, including northwest Indiana, and southeast Wisconsin since 1991!