New Berlin, WI Transfer Lift Rental

BILD was recently contacted by a therapist at a local rehabilitation center about trialing a manual lift for one of their clients, Lisa a New Berlin, WI transfer lift rental.  One of the key features to the success of BILD, is the therapists on staff that assist with education and assessments.  BILD sent two of their physical therapists, Rob and Melissa, to the the Wauwatosa rehabilitation center with the manual floor lift requested, the Handicare Minilift, and information about additional lift options.  Rob and Melissa scheduled their arrival during the Lisa’s occupational therapy (OT) session in order to build this education and trial into her session.  The BILD physical therapists showed Lisa and her OT how the Minilift worked and then fit Lisa to the lift.  They completed a handful of trials of sit to/from stand with Lisa in the lift and were able to problem solve with her OT in order to find the best wheelchair position, lift placement and settings for the safest and most comfortable transfer.  Rob and Melissa left the Minilift transfer device for Lisa to continue to practice using it with therapy for a week.  After the week trial, the Minilift was returned to BILD.

When Lisa was preparing for discharge from the Lutheran Home, her social worker reached out to BILD about ordering or renting a transfer lift in her New Berlin condo, that Lisa could use at home with her husband.  Lisa had utilized a different manual sit-to-stand lift called the Arjo Sara Stedy during the final weeks at the Lutheran Home, and was interested in renting one for home.  Rob reached out to Lisa, and was able to give her multiple options for a manual sit-to-stand lift for home.  The Sara Stedy is a more expensive lift and the dimensions didn’t work well with Lisa’s doorways and her home’s layout.  Rob was able to find a better, more cost effective lift option for Lisa and her husband, the Bestcare Bestmove 400.  Lisa and her husband were interested in renting this lift, and Rob delivered it that week.

After a week of use with this lift, Lisa and her husband found that it worked well with transferring onto her bed, the toilet and the transport chair, but it didn’t work with transferring onto her power scooter.  The legs of the lift did not move and the base didn’t fit around her scooter.  This was a problem for Lisa, because the scooter is her primary mode of mobility within her apartment and the apartment building, maintaining her independence.  Melissa was able to bring Lisa and her husband options for a sit-to-stand lift with a moveable base to try.  When Melissa was at Lisa’s house, she realized how much more difficult it was for Lisa to get up into a standing position.  Lisa’s husband was doing a lot of manual lifting to get Lisa up to standing to even use the lift.  She suggested that they try a power sit-to-stand lift to make this an easier and safer transfer for both of them.  Melissa returned the next week with a power lift and slings that assisted Lisa at her trunk and at her hips.  The power lift worked well with Lisa and her husband could easily operate it, but after a long conversation and multiple trials with the manual and the power lift, Lisa and her husband decided to keep the manual lift as a rental.  This lift was the most cost effective, and they were the most familiar and comfortable with this lift.  Melissa suggested that they work with the home physical therapist on ways to transfer from the transport chair into the power scooter, so that Lisa would still be able to independently maneuver around her apartment and the complex.  The expertise on transfer techniques and lift options, as well as the rapport that Rob and Melissa had with Lisa, helped them find the best and safest lift for her and her husband to use in their home.  We are glad that Lisa is able to live at home, safely with her husband, and that we could be a small part of their success.