Hi,
How long can a patient be in a U-Sling in their manual Hoyer lift? We've been shooting for 10 minutes but get closer to 15 depending on each time's needs. I read on the fda or another type of website folks should only be suspended in their sling 'for a few minutes', so I think we're pushing it with even 10 minutes.
We dont do well with changing briefs by rolling and our loved one cant help in terms of lifting their bottom up at all to help change briefs when on their back. We tried a Sara stedy but they sit against the butt seats and i cant properly clean their behind. Ive looked into electric sit to stand lifts where but even if a hybrid ones is available ($$) with both a seat & chest sling, i dont think its safe to remove to seat back to have access to their bottom to clean, as they currently arent able to fully stand up off their sara stedy after time goes by as they get tired and put their full weight on the back of the seats (no sling in the sara stedy/transport stand assist manual tool). Perhaps id be able to quickly remove the seats on a hybrid sit to stand with them still in the sling, but this seems like their legs could give out and/or i'd still need 10-15 minutes to do the brief change, removing desitin & a and d, putting new desitin & a and d on, cleaning any BMs, removing bandaids, cleaning wounds, applying new bandaids with creams etc.)
We got a tilt in space shower chair commode, but same issue, I still need full access to their bottom to clean (I tried a hand held bidet which works okay, but im on the bathroom floor trying to use it & water gets everywhere-we dont have a roll in shower, so ive been putting a large bucket on the ground with the disposable pee pads underneath it. (Side note-id really like if there was a large bucket that fits under shower commode chairs so we could properly give our LO a shower with water not just wipes or washclothes). The shower chair isnt great though because it's not padded and cuts into their skin (i did tape a cotton pee pad to the the back rest to pad it-but the seat itself leaves red marks because it's not padded-but i cant just put a towel over it because we use the commode cut out).
I need to raise them up in the air with the hoyer to: take off their tabbed Abena brief, use wipes to clean them, including time to take off all the Desitin on their front/scrotum we were told by an OT to use, to clean any bowel movements, to put on A&D on their bottom, and to clean & bandage any bandaids that have come loose (they have very vulnerable skin and are at risk for pressure wounds).
I know the sling cant be good as it can irritate their skin under their arms, so Im trying to come up with other solutions. It's just me as the caregiver and we did try the changing in bed (had an OT come show us, watched from videos, tried on my own), but it just is more work for us-impossible to get new tabbed briefs on correctly, messy to clean, at risk for them peeing/having bm during changing process which is harder to clean in bed i find, its hard for me to roll them and our LO doesnt like it either-and even with two people (the OT) showing me, our LO was near the edge of their fully electric hospital bed with bed rails (legs off the bed edge) & it felt like they could fall-one of us had to hold their body and that doesnt work if there is only one of me. Ive seen the Sure Hands Lift (newer/more modern hoyer with no sling) (video here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C90SYCYhYHo/) wonder if anyone has tried those-i dont know that it would help with the skin issues if they were up in that sling for 10-15 minutes a few times a day but the current u-sling doesnt seem great-it also seems to slip over time like it gets bunched up by the shoulder and knees and seems like our LO could slip out of it-and we cant cross the leg straps as we need access to change briefs and put on their velcro shorts (hard to do as is in the sling).-thanks for any advice/equipment/videos etc
This level of care needs to be handled in a facility where fully trained people are available 24/7. I'm so sorry.
Also there is a way to do all of this in bed without the patient having to lift his bottom . The OT showed you how to change the sheets while the patient was in bed . You can also do all care this way , while minimizing the chance of soiling the sheets . Ask OT to show you how to change an adult diaper with tabs by rolling side to side . You can place a towel on his front and a bed pad in the back until getting the diaper totally back on , (similar to when changing a newborn baby boy to avoid “ the fountain”) .
Perhaps it may be time to consider facility care for LO .
Care13, you sound very experienced with hoists, equipment & care for a non-ambulatory person. But it sounds like the environment/home is the barrier to making changes/improvements.
As I answered on another thread recently, my experience has been to do most everything on the bed.
. Undress a person on the bed
. Bedbath & cleanups on the bed (roll from side to side)
. Re-dress person on the bed
If space & safe for a hoist, space & safe for a commode, wash or shower can be in the bathroom.
. Undress on the bed first
. Hoist transfer
. Wash
. Line bed with dry towels
. Hoist back to bed
. Dry & re-dress on the bed
The hoist sling just gets in the way of incontence pads/pants & clothing.
To do it that way the caregivers really need a bed that raises up to protect their backs.
Can an electric hospital bed that raises & has bedside rails be hired?
But when he was done pooping, she would hold him up using the gait belt and I would be able to clean him up real good and get a clean diaper back on him. And she would put him back in the bed. That worked really well for all involved.
I had initially spoke to hospice about a Hoyer lift for my husband, but because my house if pretty much fully carpeted, they said it would ruin my carpet. Plus I don't think I could have personally figured out how to use it properly.
It sounds like you have your hands WAY to full now and it may be time for plan B or C.