Getting a hoist for Mum

sue@38

Registered User
Jan 24, 2011
13
0
Hello,Mum's mobility has become quite variable - she'll be fine for 4-5 days and then 'get stuck' and has a few times to have paramedics out to get her into bed.
She has live-in care but also needs an extra carer (either my sister or another paid carer) to help her get up in the morning and get to bed. She has hospital bed (very difficult to get) and we have 'sara' mobility aid - but the care agency are now saying that Mum needs a hoist as the carers are not allowed to lift - and the OT (who has been v helpful) is refusing to assess Mum for a hoist -saying she can't have one, because she won't be able to cope. We now feel stuck and that Mum will be confined to bed when she could be getting up and out and about in a wheelchair....From looking back at some older posts there are hoists out there that OTs seem to have recommended - has anyone else had this problem with getting OT assessment for a hoist ? We can't event buy privately without OT recommendation ....:(
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,081
0
Bury
"...- but the care agency are now saying that Mum needs a hoist as the carers are not allowed to lift - and the OT (who has been v helpful) is refusing to assess Mum for a hoist -saying she can't have one, because she won't be able to cope..."


What reason does the OT give?
It may be because they think your Mum will panic and try to grab parts of the hoist and the carers. My wife tended to do this and the only solution was to stop and try later.
 

bemused1

Registered User
Mar 4, 2012
3,402
0
We have a privately bought overhead hoist for my husband. No problem with getting him assessed for it. But it did have to go through the ot attached to social services rather than the community ot.
Another possibility is getting advice from an independent living advisor. You can find info about them on line. They can find other ways to help you.
 

bunnies

Registered User
May 16, 2010
433
0
I wonder if they can be so sure that a person won't be able to use it. They were doubtful that my relative would, but said they would try it, and as it turned out it was no problem at all.
 

sue@38

Registered User
Jan 24, 2011
13
0
"...- but the care agency are now saying that Mum needs a hoist as the carers are not allowed to lift - and the OT (who has been v helpful) is refusing to assess Mum for a hoist -saying she can't have one, because she won't be able to cope..."


What reason does the OT give?
It may be because they think your Mum will panic and try to grab parts of the hoist and the carers. My wife tended to do this and the only solution was to stop and try later.

Thank you - I think it may be partly about that and also maybe concern about falling (can you fall out of a hoist?) - but also that we have gone through Community Treatment team (for people coming out of hospital) OT rather than social services - who we have never really engaged with - it can all take a long time to get sorted out ....thank you
 

sue@38

Registered User
Jan 24, 2011
13
0
We have a privately bought overhead hoist for my husband. No problem with getting him assessed for it. But it did have to go through the ot attached to social services rather than the community ot.
Another possibility is getting advice from an independent living advisor. You can find info about them on line. They can find other ways to help you.

Thank you - I don't think I've come across them before - I'll see if we can find them in our local area. Did it take along time to get the social services OT assessment and did they know you were prepared to buy it privately ?
 

sue@38

Registered User
Jan 24, 2011
13
0
When my mum was alive and in hospital with an infection the hospital would not let her come home until all the equipment she needed was in place, hospital bed, pressure mattress, hoist and sling etc.,

My mum was so terrified of the damn thing it was almost impossible to get her in the sling and attach it to the hoist, it became a daily battle and it took the carer's ages to try and persuade her to use it. Practically they are a good thing but a person with dementia can't always see this or understand why one is being used and my mum could not understand why she could not just get out of bed and walk off like she used to be able to do.

That sounds a very different experience to when our mum was in hospital - they really just wanted to make sure there were people at home to look after her. Thank you for your answer - its really helpful to get different people's experience
 

sue@38

Registered User
Jan 24, 2011
13
0
I wonder if they can be so sure that a person won't be able to use it. They were doubtful that my relative would, but said they would try it, and as it turned out it was no problem at all.


Do you know what sort of hoist your relative had - there seem to be a number of different types ?

Thank you
 

bemused1

Registered User
Mar 4, 2012
3,402
0
Thank you - I don't think I've come across them before - I'll see if we can find them in our local area. Did it take along time to get the social services OT assessment and did they know you were prepared to buy it privately ?

It does take a while. I'm thinking back now and it was the independent living advisor who contacted the ot. There was no way they were going to pay for the hoist, although the reason for that was never given so it was always clear we were going to pay. My husband had long term mobility problems and although it wasn't essential at that moment it very quickly became so.

Why can you not buy without ot input? Can you not arrange an advisory visit from a hoist company and request the ot to be present?
 

bunnies

Registered User
May 16, 2010
433
0
Do you know what sort of hoist your relative had - there seem to be a number of different types ?

Thank you

I'm sorry I don't know what it was called - but if you can describe different types I can perhaps tell you which one it was.

I'm surprised to hear that people are being expected to pay for a hoist. If someone can live in their own home, and the carer can't move them safely, I would have thought they should be entitled to a hoist. The problem I had was that then the care agency said we had to have two carers there to work the hoist. So it was the cost of paying for two carers that was the issue not the hoist. I wonder if that could be a reason why OT don't want to have one installed - could it be anything to do with the need for more carers? Just a though. Not sure it changes anything.
 

bemused1

Registered User
Mar 4, 2012
3,402
0
I'm sorry I don't know what it was called - but if you can describe different types I can perhaps tell you which one it was.

I'm surprised to hear that people are being expected to pay for a hoist. If someone can live in their own home, and the carer can't move them safely, I would have thought they should be entitled to a hoist. The problem I had was that then the care agency said we had to have two carers there to work the hoist. So it was the cost of paying for two carers that was the issue not the hoist. I wonder if that could be a reason why OT don't want to have one installed - could it be anything to do with the need for more carers? Just a though. Not sure it changes anything.

If you have a ceiling hoist it only needs one person. I use ours 4 or 5 times a day on my own. I also routinely use it with the help of a carer but that is very much down to individual agencies.
 

bunnies

Registered User
May 16, 2010
433
0
If you have a ceiling hoist it only needs one person. I use ours 4 or 5 times a day on my own. I also routinely use it with the help of a carer but that is very much down to individual agencies.

Yes it was a ceiling hoist that we had - the care agency insisted there had to be two carers to operate it, even though it very clearly could be operated by one.
 

Slippers

Registered User
Jan 20, 2015
6
0
Thank you - I think it may be partly about that and also maybe concern about falling (can you fall out of a hoist?) - but also that we have gone through Community Treatment team (for people coming out of hospital) OT rather than social services - who we have never really engaged with - it can all take a long time to get sorted out ....thank you

No, you can't fall out of a hoist.
 

sue@38

Registered User
Jan 24, 2011
13
0
My mum would have been very much at risk if she had not had the equipment she needed in place at home, she had problems with skin breakdown and was at great risk of pressure sores without a pressure mattress, she was not mobile, she could not stand or get out of bed without help, hence the need for the hoist and hospital bed,, carer's won't or shouldn't lift a person. In my mum's case it was a Health and Safety issue and no hospital would have sent her home without the equipment she needed in place. My mum also had extremely challenging behaviour. I can only assume that your mum did not have some of these needs.

Thank you - We had previously managed after an earlier hospital visit to get her a hospital bed which is very useful - and it sounds like your Mum had some greater difficulties and needs compared to where we are at the moment...
 

sue@38

Registered User
Jan 24, 2011
13
0
It does take a while. I'm thinking back now and it was the independent living advisor who contacted the ot. There was no way they were going to pay for the hoist, although the reason for that was never given so it was always clear we were going to pay. My husband had long term mobility problems and although it wasn't essential at that moment it very quickly became so.

Why can you not buy without ot input? Can you not arrange an advisory visit from a hoist company and request the ot to be present?

We could buy but its getting care agency carers to use if not approved by OT ! However, as you suggest my sister has contacted some hoist companies - so we can get some further information ourselves and we are also now waiting to hear from social services about their doing an assessment..thank you
 

sue@38

Registered User
Jan 24, 2011
13
0
Yes it was a ceiling hoist that we had - the care agency insisted there had to be two carers to operate it, even though it very clearly could be operated by one.

Thanks - we were looking at a standing hoist - that is maybe different to a ceiling hoist in terms of number of users needed to operate it - but we do have 2 carers available when Mum is getting up and going to bed anyway .... it certainly feels like wading through treacle when all you are trying to do is keep your Mum active and able to lead as much a normal life as possible for as long as possible..