The Ups and Downs of Lift Systems

A few years ago, my dad built this amazing machine for me, to pick me up out of my wheelchair and transfer me to other surfaces on my left or right.  It's a travel-lift, so it is compact (fits in a pickleball bag), lightweight (made mostly of aluminum) and resourceful (uses my wheelchair as a counterweight and power source). It keeps me and my caregivers safe, and has been truly remarkable for my road trips and weekend excursions. In preparing for this summer I decided it would be the primary tool for all my lifting needs.

I learned after one week that it probably wouldn't be a good idea to depend on it quite that much. It requires a bit of assembly on the back of my chair where I can't directly supervise, and since I was having a lot of different people try to use it throughout the week, we ran into a few issues and concerns. One night I was laying in bed and praying about it. "Lord, I think I might need a back-up or alternate plan for transfers. You know this is a crucial element in my caregiving, so please give me an idea." As I fell asleep I had a thought that a Hoyer lift might actually work in my space... 

By the way, have I mentioned what an awesome set-up I have in my apartment? For a one-bedroom, there is a lot of room! Wide doorways, wide entry space, open kitchen/living room floor, huge walk-in closet, high ceilings, and plenty of space in the bedroom. But the pièce de résistance  is the bathroom. If you aren't in a wheelchair, you cannot possibly understand how challenging it is to find a house or apartment to rent with a truly accessible bathroom! The classic layout of a bathroom is a narrow long-ish corridor that has on one side a sink and cabinets, right next to a toilet, right next to a tub. Go ahead and check... I'll bet most of your bathrooms are arranged this way. And that doesn't work for someone in a wheelchair and their caregiver who need space for transfers. My apartment bathroom has a wide doorway from the main hall AND a wide doorway to the walk-in closet. The sink and tub are on the same wall, and the toilet is on the opposite wall. I can literally (a word I always use correctly) turn in circles in my bathroom, and I can turn perpendicular to the sink, so I can see myself in the mirror.

OK, so back to the lifts. I have rarely used a Hoyer lift before. They are big and chunky, taking up a lot of space and requiring a lot of space to maneuver. But in my spacious apartment, it just might work. The next morning, I talked with my friend Rachel about it. "I think I'm gonna call around and see if there is anywhere in town I can rent a Hoyer lift for the summer. Maybe the hospital or a therapy center or Turnstone..." Rachel nodded with a look that said it was half of a good idea. "I think you should ask God to help you find one you can use for free," she said. I laughed and replied, "Yeah, wouldn't that be nice!" Rachel didn't laugh with me; she was totally serious. So we prayed right then and there for a free loaner. Then Rachel went to work and I went to meet my friend Halsey for coffee.

Halsey is a new friend I met through work, a smart and talented girl in her twenties who has SMA like me. We'd talked over email and video chat quite a bit, but this coffee date was our first face-to-face. While we enjoyed our drinks and breakfast pastries, we talked about work, life, and accessibility. It occurred to me that she might have some ideas about where I could rent a Hoyer, so I told her my situation. "Girl, I use a Hoyer all the time," she said with a grin, "and I have a second back-up one sitting in my garage. It's in good condition and it isn't being used. I'll totally let you use it for free this summer!" I don't know why I was surprised. 

That very afternoon Halsey's mom and brother brought it to my apartment and gave me a quick tutorial. They rolled it around and showed me that it could get through the doorways and around corners just fine, and the hammock sling that I already have is compatible with it. It's hydraulic, so you pump a handle to raise me up and turn a valve to lower me down. I decided to name it Howie the Hoyer.

We still had kinks to work out though. Because of the Hoyer design, it wouldn't work to get me in the tub or into bed. So Pam brought some risers to elevate my bed, so the Hoyer could fit under the frame, and we decided my Travel Lift would still be incredibly useful in the tub situation. I was glad to still use my Travel Lift some, without overworking it or overcomplicating my smaller daily routines. 

Having reliable lift systems is a huge blessing. I don't worry about getting dropped or hurting my friends' backs, and anyone who is willing to learn can assist me.