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.

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. 

CHS - Helping Preserve Dignity and Activity in your Golden Years

After a full life and many years of contributing to the community, it can be disheartening when our bodies begin no longer rise to the challenge of remaining as active and mobile as we have always been.

A few simple items from CHS Healthcare can make all the difference as we age, allowing us to face and conquer the mobility issues that result from long and rich lives.

Initially, as you experience minor mobility issues, installing a series of grab rails can ensure safety in the home and other areas.  These may be particularly important in bathing areas where wet, slippery floors can be a hazard.  For increased safety, it is worth keeping an eye out on our website for our new range of baths from Astor Bannerman.  Many of these have terrific features such as the opening side doors of the Vanna Hi-Lo Bath which make getting in and out of the bath much easier for both patients and carers.

If hoists are required, our most popular hoist with flexible usage options is the Etac Motolift Nomad.  This portable hoist is safe and easy to use, especially when partnered with our patented CHS Flexi-Link connection system. A few easy steps and the Flexi-Link Head automatically locks into place when the wand fitting is removed. The Nomad can move between rooms easily when rail systems cannot flow through the home completely.  It is an ideal product for both private homes and institutions, it can be found on our website by clicking here (insert link).

If you are unsure as to what your need are - whether it be in the home or in a community facility, why not ask our designers? Simply use the CHS App on your smartphone to upload photographs of your existing space and tell us your mobility needs.  You will receive timely, personalised feedback on the products that will make your life easier, as well as the lives of patients and loved ones.

Fixed or Portable Hoists - What is Right for You?

CHS Healthcare prides itself on supporting our clients to make the best choice for the person in care.  We stock a range of hoists and accessories to meet every need.  One of the first and most fundamental decisions that needs to be made by the purchaser is whether to buy and install a fixed hoist, or to invest in a portable one.

Both options have their own advantages.

Fixed Hoists 

Fixed hoists are permanently set up.  Whenever you need it, the hoist is there ready and waiting.  It

charges on the fixed track – installed by CHS Healthcare – and curves and turntables allow for easy manoeuvring and transfers.

A fixed hoist is confined to the track upon which it is installed – which means you need to ensure your space is designed to carry the patient wherever they need to go.

Fixed hoists are a particularly good option for in the home or in therapy spaces where patients move through a fixed series of movements.  Fixed hoists are also recommended in the case of bariatric patients.

Portable Hoists 

Portable hoists are great for spaces that require great flexibility – this is why we recommend all hospitals and aged care facilities have portable hoists as a part of their patient care equipment.

Portable hoists are easily moved from room to room wherever tracks have been installed.  So, a single portable hoist is able to service a number of areas. The design is lightweight and easy to use.  CHS Healthcare recommends our patented Flexi-Link Connection system, which makes connecting portable hoists fast and safe. 

Portable hoists are easily stored and charged on trolleys, so they can be neatly stored away when not in use.

Although portable hoists generally have a lower Safe Working Load than fixed hoists, CHS Healthcare stocks several products that can support over 200kg, including the Waverley Glen 600 with an SWL of 274kg.  So no matter what your needs are for patient lifting, CHS Healthcare has the answer for you.

All Your Questions About Our Flexi-Link Connection Connection System Answered

At CHS Healthcare, one of our most successful products is our Flexi-Link Connection System.

The Flexi-Link Connection System is a world first product designed, patented and manufactured by CHS Healthcare.

Safety and ease of use are key concerns for carers when working with portable hoists.  So, CHS designed the Flexi-Link Connection System with portable hoists in mind. In less than ten seconds, you can connect your portable hoist to the ceiling rail, ready for a patient transfer.

Using the Flexi-Link Connection System is very straight-forward and safety is guaranteed with proper use. Simply use the Flexi-Link wand to connect the Flexi-Link head to the rail trolley. The head will lock automatically, and the wand detaches with a slight downward pull.  Once the patient or resident has been comfortably transferred, the connection system is easily re-attached by pushing gently upwards, unlocking the Flexi-Link Head.

The Flexi-Link connection head is the hero of this product - not only ensuring the quick and easy attachment of the hoist system, but also providing 4 safety points that eliminate fall risk, stop twisting of straps and slings, and keep the wand out of the head-collision area.

More details can be found on the training video on the website.

The Flexi-Link Connection System is compatible with all CHS approved portable hoists, and makes life so much simpler in facilities with changing hoist needs, such as hospitals and hotels, as well as therapy and medical rooms.

It is tested to meet and exceed Australian Safety Standards, and has a safe working load of 300kg.

With this kind of thinking, you know that CHS Healthcare is your first choice to supply and install your patient lifting systems.