What is the PLR? Get your hoist:bed ratio right for your residents and staff

In order to protect carers – as well as the people in care, we need to ensure that the right equipment is available in all facilities.

CHS Healthcare works with hospitals, physiotherapists, community centres and aged care facilities to ensure the best choice and proper installation of ceiling hoists and accessories across Australia.

In many aged care facilities, portable hoists are an excellent choice as they allow for flexibility of use.  Once the ceiling rails are installed, a portable hoist can be used in a variety of areas.  Our most recommended portable hoist is the Etac Molift Nomad.  Used in conjunction with a trolley and our patented Flexi-Link Connection system, a safe and easy connection between the ceiling rail and the portable hoist is possible in less than 10 seconds.

We receive many queries as to how many Nomads we recommend per facility.  In working on a number of projects across the country, including the Benetas Aged Care Facility as well as the Australian Unity Carlton Wellbeing Centre, we have determined what we call a Patient Lifting Ratio – an optimum number of portable hoists per patient in a facility.  This number of hoists is based upon the number needed to allow carers to do their job safely – without having to undertake dangerous lifting practices in emergencies – and to allow patients safe and timely attention.  No-one should have to wait for long periods until hoists are available.

CHS Healthcare recommends one portable Nomad hoist for every 7 bedrooms in an aged care facility.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Nomad hoist, and ensuring that your facility has the right patient lifting ratio for staff and people in care, contact CHS Healthcare today. We recommend the necessary products and accessories to bring you up-to-date and assist with installation and training so that your team knows how to use our products safely and efficiently.  Send through a query on our website or call us today on 1300 789 420.

The Integralift: The Perfect Choice for Homes, Hotels and Aged Care Facilities

One of our most popular and talked-about products at CHS Healthcare is the Integralift.

The Integralift is a hoist that doesn’t look like a hoist – it is stored away in customisable cupboards with a range of available colours and finishes.

Although hoists are a necessary part of life for many Australians, so much equipment in a person’s room can make the atmosphere feel a little sterile.  It can be difficult to feel like one is at home, if home looks like a hospital.  This is why the Integralift is the perfect choice for homes, hotels and aged care facilities.

Homes

While a person may need mobility aids, they also need to feel at home when they are there – and not let the equipment they need as a part of their daily routine overwhelm them.

Installing the Integralift helps a person feel more at home, and helps guest see the person rather than the equipment.

The Integralift is perfect for home installation – when not in use, you will never know it is there!  When you do need it, simply open the cupboard door and set the hoist up in a few short steps.

Hotels

When people with mobility needs travel, it can be very difficult to find accommodation that is set up with the right equipment.  Be part of making this situation better – and attract a whole new clientele.  Have an Integralift installed into a percentage of your rooms – these rooms could be hired out to anyone, the Integralift is so subtle they would never know it was there.

The Integralift comes in a wide variety of colours to match any kind of décor, and the cupboards will simply look like a part of the room.

Aged Care Facilities

When a person transitions into full time care, that transition can be hard.  Even small changes that make the new accommodation seem more homely can make all the difference.  An Integralift helps a person in care have the equipment they need, but also feel that their space is not dominated by it.  It also helps the family feel comfortable when they come to visit – without being in a room dominated by equipment.

With a Safe Working Load of 230 kilograms, the Integralift is suitable for most patients, and is simple and easy to use for both carer and patient.

This is a product that really makes a difference in so many lives – why not be a part of that?  Contact CHS Healthcare today to inquire about The Integralift.

How the CHS App Makes Life Easier

Designing a space to cater for the needs of the disabled or elderly for the home, or as part of a hospital or aged care facility can be a challenge, whether you are a builder, an architect or even a therapist.  Fortunately, CHS Healthcare is always available to make recommendations about products, design and installation.

Now, getting tips from CHS Healthcare is even easier.  You can find access to timely advice in the App Store for your iPhone, or at Google Play for your Android device.

The CHS Healthcare App has a lot of helpful and innovative features to support your projects.  The best feature of the App is the ability to upload a photo, and ask a question.  Issues can sometimes be difficult to describe over the phone or in a quick email, but a picture says a thousand words!  Therapists can upload photos of clients and get up-to-date advice about the right equipment for that client’s needs - everything from hoists, to slings and rails.  Architects can send photos of design issues and receive experienced advice. CHS Healthcare has trained designers and technical estimators on hand who specialise in all aspects of patient lifting design.  Builders can also upload photos to ask construction-based questions, such as how and where to install the right kind of rails, the supports required and even fixing methods.

CHS Healthcare can respond to your queries with either a service call or an on-site visit.  You can book either one of these with the app with a simple push of a button. 

The App also gives you easy and direct access to details and specs about our many products.  

It’s great to know that a trained CHS Healthcare professional is in your pocket, ready to solve any design and installation problems.  Download it now!

The Many Ways CHS Healthcare Supports Changing Places

CHS Healthcare has been a key player in fitting out Changing Places facilities throughout Australia.

These facilities provide people with physical impairments and mobility issues a safe, private and sanitary place to go to the toilet and be changed by carers.  Many people with mobility issues avoid or experience difficulty accessing public toilet facilities and are sadly limited in their enjoyment of active lives due to this lack of accessibility.  Some find they have to cut days out with family and friends short to enable them to use their own toilets. Those who have chosen to use inadequate facilities have experienced a lack of privacy and hygiene, often having to be changed by a carer on the floor of an ordinary public bathroom.  The dream of the Changing Places team is to make these conditions a thing of the past.

This powerful initiative is gaining momentum as more and more Australians recognise the irrefutable need to redefine the standards for accessible public toilet facilities.

In a previous blog post, we outlined some of the key products we supply for the Changing Places design, including our Waverley Glen C450 Fixed Hoist, the Slimline Rail room coverage System and the Nivano Change Table. Now, CHS has extended our partnership with Changing Paces, providing our high quality products throughout the Changing Places design. 

The new CHS equipment and fixtures include everything from soap and toilet paper dispensers and hand dryers to more specialised products such as hand rails and back rests.  We also provide an Accessible Shower Positioning Arm, for those times where showering a person in care may be necessary - such as in Aquatic Centres.  This product  is fully compliant with AS1428.1-2009 Disability Standard (Clause 15.5.6) and allows for the easy adjustment of shower head height from a seated position.  This is a terrific addition to the existing design.

We are proud to be a part of the continual improvement and installation of these facilities - and the positive change it brings to the lives of those people who use them.

Why not take this opportunity to support the new initiative to include Changing Places in the building code of Australia?  Find a link to the proposal here: http://changingplaces.org.au/campaign-to-include-changing-places-in-the-bca/

Caring for the Carers - Getting the Right Hoists to Make Workplaces Safe

Being a carer - whether it be in a hospital, an aged care facility or even in the home - can be a physically demanding job.  But to be there for the people we care for, we have to look after ourselves as well.  We have to make sure our work processes support and promote good health for everyone involved.

In the workplace, Worksafe regulations ensure that basic safety procedures are in place.  But no matter how well-versed we are in the techniques of safe lifting, we often need the right products to support our safety.  While fixed hoists are the safest, it’s sometimes unviable for hospitals and hospices to have a hoist installed in every room.  In terms of portable hoists, the Etac Molift Nomad is a popular choice, as it has excellent safety features. The Nomad uses the safe and efficient CHS  Healthcare Flexi-Link Connection system with a spring-loaded latch that clicks into place whenever it is operation carries weight.  This ensures both the user and the patient are safe during lifts.

True to its name, the Nomad is easily transported. The design includes handles at the top. It weighs just 6.8 kilograms, but has a safe working load of up to 230kg or 255kg.  It also uses light and sound alerts to indicate when the battery is in need of charging. When it does need charging.

With bariatric care becoming an increasing concern, you may also need some hoists that offer an even greater safe working load.  The Waverley Glen P600 offers the greatest capacity to bear weight of our portable hoists, lifting up to 274 kilograms with confidence.  Both products are able to be transported from room to room with one of our CHS Healthcare Floor Transport Trolleys. These were designed to support OH&S standards for nurses, carers and occupational therapists to prevent back injuries.

If you need greater weight bearing capacity than this, a fixed hoist will need to be installed.  The Waverley Glen C1000 has the highest SWL (450kg) in our range, allowing patients of all sizes to be transported with ease and respect.

Make sure your equipment protects those who need it, and those who use it. CHS Healthcare will look after both clients and their carers. Have a look here at our recent project to redevelop the Box Hill Hospital.  This showcases the best in ceiling hoist design, incorporating fixed and portable hoists incorporating more than 420 individual rail systems.