Extraordinary Lives, Excellent Equipment

At CHS, we aim to provide products to give dignity and ease of access and mobility for those who need mobility aids.  We believe in seeing the person, not the disability.

While a physical mobility issue can be a challenge, it should not - and does not stop - people from living happy and incredibly productive lives.  A prominent example of this is famous theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking.  You may be familiar with Hawking’s work, his popular science book A Brief History of Time, and even through the Oscar-nominated film, The Theory of Everything.

Hawking suffers from a rare early-onset and slow-progressing form of ALS, also known as motor neurone disease or Lou Gehrig's disease.  Over several years his paralysis has gradually increased - first affecting his ability to walk, then to use his hands and finally robbing him of speech. He communicates using a single cheek muscle attached to a speech generating device.

Despite originally being told he would have 2 years to live, Hawking has made incredible leaps in the field of physics and has married twice and has three children. He is an inspirational figure to all those who need mobility aid - he has never let his disability get in the way of his dreams and goals. His keen mind, sense of humour and passion contributed to his many achievements. He is living an amazing life more than 40 years after his diagnosis.

What we aim to do at CHS is to give people the tools they need to ease their way through some of the basic necessities of life, with dignity and respect.   Although much of Hawking’s equipment is very advanced, he still would require many of the basic everyday equipment such as these provided by CHS - hoists, slings, transfer boards and changing tables.   This important equipment allows those requiring aid as well as their carers to focus on what can be achieved, rather than focusing on physical limitations.

The Hoist that Doesn’t Look Like a Hoist

Hoists are a necessary part of the life for many elderly or disabled people. At Ceiling Hoist Solutions, we have a world class range of hoists to meet every need - even the hoist that does not look like a hoist: the Integralift.

There are many situations which require a more discreet system such as hotel rooms, bedrooms and aged care facilities. In those cases we recommend the Integralift.

The Integralift is simple and practical hoist, engineered with useful features and intelligent design.  It has the same high-quality engineering you have come to expect from CHS patient lifting products and is designed to blend in with the existing décor to help those requiring care feel more at home in their rooms.  This can be a very important consideration alongside the quality care that professionals and professional equipment provides. Now visitors can see the person, rather than feel overwhelmed by some of the equipment needed to make their life easier. The Integralift combines the security and accessibility of fixed lifting equipment, with the user-friendliness of a portable lift.

Not only is the Integralift a quality product for the home - it is an exceptional choice for other facilities too, such as hospitals, hotels and hostels.  The Integralift offers them the capability to assist people with mobility issues, without detracting from the appearance of the room.  The same room could be used for a client who may not need a hoist without bringing attention to the hoist being ready for use, or perhaps even knowing the Integralift was there.

The wide range of colours and finishes ensure there is a design that will match most interiors.

The safe working load of the Integralift is 230 kilograms and it is simple to use, ensuring the carer is equally as comfortable as the patient. Simply open the vertical cupboard to reveal the spreader bar and remote control. Use the spreader bar as a handle to swing the boom bar into position. Then unhook the spreader bar and lower is using the remote. Once you attach the sling, the patient is carefully and smoothly transferred to a new location. Secure the equipment back in the cupboard when no longer in use.

This truly is a product with benefits for everyone.  See more at www.ceilinghoistsolutions.com.au 

What if your aged care residents could have the benefits of a hoist without having to know its there?

It's been the point of discussion around many a aged care board room table: we need patient lifting equipment, but we don't want to see the rails on the ceiling and have the hoist always sitting in view.  

The answer could well be in a not-so-new cabinet based lifter called the Integralift, designed by Norwegian engineer Skjalg AAbakken, and now selling in Australian through Ceiling Hoist Solutions.  What problem does this solve?  It looks like cabinetry, it feels and works like cabinetry - but just open the door and suddenly there is a patient lifting motor with sling, spreader bar and sling, ready to lift a patient or resident from the bed to a wheelchair, tub chair or even commode.  Imagine how better your residents or patients will feel when the only time they see a hoist is when they need it!  

And for staff, well, no sore backs, shoulders and general fatigue.  Surely that is worth a lot more than just something!  There's Integralifts being installed into aged care and residential homes all across Australia - why don't you take a look as well.

Ceiling Hoist Solutions - it's all about having the right equipment.

It's one thing to care and nurse the injured or elderly through illness, injury or as a part of long term care, but it's another thing entirely when carers are put at risk of injury to themselves.  

The use of portable hoists in aged care is an absolute must if we are to protect those who work in healthcare.  So often, CHS (Ceiling Hoist Solutions) - a provider of patient lifting equipment such asWaverley Glen fixed hoists, Etac Molift Nomad portable hoists, Astor Bannerman change tables and Ropimex curtain rails and folding walls - encounter with OH&S managers and care staff whose role as carers are compromised as a results of having to use floor hoists on a regular basis.  Now, floor hoists have their use, this is not in dispute.  

What is in dispute is the reasoning behind the decision being made by many healthcare providers to opt for floor hoists over ceiling hoists based solely on the opinion that they are not required. 

Clearly there is a financial factor to all of this, and we must all understand this, however the question remains - how can hospital staff and aged care workers care for the less fortunate when they do not have either the right equipment, or are putting themselves at risk by using equipment that could be considered less than safe.  

We welcome discussions on this topic to help lift the approach to patient lifting standards in modern facilities.