Hoists in the home: their recommendation and use

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Assistive Technology
• Disability Studies

Background:

• The use of patient hoists and slings has increased significantly for severely disabled individuals.
• Mary Marlborough Lodge observed a considerable rise in hoist recommendations between 1970 and 1976.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report on the recommendations and usage of hoists and slings for severely disabled patients.
• To compare the performance and patient satisfaction between electric and manual hoists.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of hoist and sling recommendations for 233 patients.
• Follow-up assessment of hoist usage by 146 patients.
• Comparison of electric vs. manual hoist reliability, usage patterns, and reported complaints.

Main Results:

• Electric hoists constituted 42% of all recommendations.
• Patients used electric hoists more frequently in home environments compared to manual hoists.
• Manual hoists demonstrated higher reliability but resulted in a greater number of patient complaints.

Conclusions:

• Hoist selection and patient training are critical factors in effective assistive technology implementation.
• Balancing reliability, ease of use, and patient satisfaction is essential when choosing between electric and manual hoists.
• Further consideration of training protocols may mitigate issues associated with hoist use.