In addition to Alzheimer’s Dad has long had very arthritic hip which has prevented him from walking for about 3 years now. We did our best to extend his mobility with physical therapy and exercise, but while his spirit was willing, the act became too painful.
We purchased a sit-to-stand lift (made by Apex, model “Stella”) for transfers and toileting at that point and it has served us very well, though it was rather expensive at about $2200. We found a particular sling (another $250) that enables us to change his Depends while he is on the lift, fully supported by padded straps under his arms and legs, and back support. That has been a godsend, enabling me and Mom to take care of Dad at home without the extra expense of attendants coming 4 times a day–a routine we accepted for a couple of years. We bought the lift online at a great discount to anything available locally. We took a bit of a chance by purchasing it before we actually tried it out, but it was not difficult to assemble, and has been a good helper. If you need a lift, I recommend having a look at models offered by local dealers and if you can get a good price, buy from them. If not, the savings by purchasing from the Web can be quite substantial.
But now, Dad is becoming too frail to be safely comfortable using the sit-to-stand, and so I am seeking a hoyer-style lift. I’ve started to focus on the Invacare Reliant 450 lift. I first spotted it on the web and a local DME store happened to have a hydraulic model in stock, and for rent, so I had that delivered a couple of weeks ago as a month-to-month rental. The lift seems fine.
Getting the right sling has been harder. I ordered one from Personal Health Choice (http://www.phc-online.com), an online reseller with a reasonable return policy. That particular sling (Divided Leg sling) had great support, but came down so low on his back that we could not access the waistband of his pants to pull them down for toileting . . . but transfers were very comfortable for him. I called PHC and they accepted the sling back (with a 15% restocking fee), and will send another–the Dress Toileting High sling, which seems to allow for better access. PHC also has decent prices for the lifts, and we’ll probably buy a powered version of the Reliant 450 (around $2000) from them if I can find a sling that meets all our needs. Then we’ll sell the old sit-to-stand lift, which is still in great shape. I’ll let you know how it goes.
UPDATE 5/20/10
We’ve decided to not buy a new lift for now. I’ve made some adjustments in the transfer process that has made it a little easier on Dad. Finding a good lift is not difficult–Invacare or, a little cheaper and built for home use, Apex Genesis–seem like they would work well. Finding the right sling for Dad, on the other hand, has proven to be a challenge. I’ve tried 4 different Invacare slings none have both been a good fit and allowed us to toilet Dad while suspended by the sling. Right now the Apex sit-to-stand life (Stella) and the Apex toileting sling is still better than other options. The key now is finding the right sling for our unique needs.