10 Steps to Use a Medical Electric Patient Lift with Actuators

Electric patient lifts are designed specifically to help patients or the elderly, who are unable to move from one place to another. This can be a short distance, such as from a bed to a chair, or a long distance, such as from one floor of a house to another. It can even be used to transport a patient to the toilet. Most of the lifts are powered by linear or electric actuators. In this post, we discuss how to use an electric patient lift.

Steps for Operating Sling and the Electric Patient Lift

Generally, a patient lift is designed with a few primary components – the lift itself, and a chair or sling. The sling or chair is used to seat the patient comfortably before the lift is used. In the points below, we will be discussing how to use an actuator driven electric patient lift with a sling. While a person can perform these steps single-handedly, having a partner to help is an advantage.

1. Help the patient to roll onto his side, and place the sling under his body.
2. The sling needs to be completely under the patient. Hence, you will have to get the patient to roll to the other side, so that the sling can be pulled further.
3. Allow the patient to roll on his back so that he can rest on the sling.
4. Use the loops of the sling to attach it to the lift. Ensure that the patient is comfortable, and that his weight is distributed evenly.
5. The lift is controlled by a vertical actuator. Use the lift controls to activate the actuator and begin the lifting process.
6. Lift the patient from the bed to the edge of the wheelchair or furniture that he is supposed to sit on. Ensure that it will be easy for you to set the patient down on the furniture.
7. Use the lift’s actuators to turn the patient around, so that his back is towards the furniture.
8. Gently lower the patient, allowing him to rest on the furniture comfortably.
9. Begin tucking the sling gently, while it is still connected to the lift. This will allow you to remove the sling without causing any discomfort to the patient.
10. Check the patient’s body to ensure that he hasn’t suffered from skin redness, rash, or irritation due to the sling. If yes, then apply the appropriate skin cream or ointment.

Tips to Ensure Safe Patient Transport

• Ensure that the patient is sitting in the middle of the sling. If not, it may cause him pain and discomfort.
• Move the lift slowly to prevent any kind of accident.
• Sometimes, the patient can slip from the sling and fall. If you are working with a partner, have him lightly support the patient’s back when moving the patient. Also, ask him to keep an eye on whether the patient is slipping from the sling.

Actuators for electric patient lifts allows doctors and nurse to complete the task of moving patient efficiently. Venture Mfg. Co. provides a variety of linear and electric actuators for the medical industry. For more information, contact Venture Mfg. Co. today.