(no subject)

[stonebender]

Skip this if you don't want to read me rant about durable medical equipment. OK I have been disabled my entire life. I've also been dependent on a lift that helps the transfer from my wheelchair to my bed and vice versa since I was around 10, I think. I have used the same type of lift for the entire time. The company that manufactured it has changed hands, but the lift has been the same. If you have seen a "patient" lift before it has been most likely been a hydraulic lift. It has a pump that you pump up to lift the a person up and then there's the valve that you open to let the person down. I've had to use those lift at times and I've always had terrible luck with them. They develop leaks and often can't hold pressure. I've hurt myself on several occasions using a hydraulic lift. I much prefer what used to be referred to as a crank lift. Like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/45526056@N00/4172991387/

It uses a screw and there's a crank on top. Crank one way you go up crank the other way you go down. If your hand happens to slip off the handle, the crank stops. It's much lighter than the hydraulic version, less likely to break and tougher.

My present lift has begun to make noises that worried me. When I was in the market for a lift the last time I discovered that my preferred lift isn't made anymore. Last time I was able to purchase a slightly used newer crank style lift. Now that this one is need of replacement, I again can't find list I prefer. I'm somewhat resigned to going to hydraulic, but another feature of many hydraulic lifts is the base of the lift is kind of a U shape. The actual lifting mechanism resides at the bottom of the U (think of looking down at the lift from the ceiling). The base is also able to spread wide in order to get closer to a bed or a chair. I find these bases to be unstable and will often widen when you don't want it to. Now my preferred lift as what's called a C-base. If you look at the base from up above it looks like C. the lifting mechanism resides on one the top or the bottom of the C and there are no moving parts. The base is designed to wrap around the chair to get close or slide under a bed. I much prefer this kind of base and guess what? I can't even get the base I want. Advertisements talk about all these different kinds of lifts, but in reality most of them are slight variations on one model. If I want to lift, I have to take the only one available really. I can't tell you how much I hate this.

Today I find out that the mask I use for my bi-pap will no longer be available they have "upgraded" to a gel type. I tried several masks including gel type and all they did was produce sores all around my nose. Now that they've "upgraded" I can't get the mask I want! Grrrrrr

Comments

[jesse_the_k]

Here is my DME grenade launcher, use at will: =|=========|=%@=|

Canada? The best DME seem to come from Scandinavia, anyone on your flist who could help with that? (I have a Swedish rollator I've used through many snowstorms since 1993, still in good shape.)

Wisconsin has a landfill-reduction program called the Wheelchair Recycling Project; they have scores of used lifts. I'd hope there's a similar group nearer you; you might be able to cobble together a replacement from parts?

[stonebender]

Thanks, I was looking for of those! :) And thanks for the link!