Bathroom transfer lift

A bath transfer lift works like a hoist to lift, swing and lower a patient into a bath. These lifts use electric motors for their operation and they are usually found in the rehabilitation wards of hospitals as well as care homes. They are operated by remote control.

Transfer devices like these normally require ceiling level rails and runners that suspend a chair or cradle that is motorised and which then travels along the length of the rail to its destination, e.g. a bath.

Additionally, these lifts can transfer patients to toilets, rehabilitation beds or other special needs areas. They may also be used in specialist situations like equestrian centres that cater for individuals who have lost the motor function in their legs and require lifting on to and back down from a horse.

Lifts of this kind are not normally found in homes, mainly because of the expense and the structural requirements necessary for them to be fitted.

Smaller, simpler, electric or manually powered (by a carer) transfer lifts that have wheels are also available as an alternative to the above. Lifts like these require a third party to control and operate them and they are normally only required for someone with a severe mobility restriction. They do not require a permanent fixed structure and they can be stored (out of the way) when not in use.

The chairs or cradles that all of these lifts support will have a restraint or seat belt for security. This ensures that the person being transferred does not fall or roll out of the cradle.

There are a number of different variations of the transfer lift, and the size, scale, complexity and expense of installing them varies dramatically.

Other transfer lift uses

Transfer lifts can also be used to lift a patient from a bed and move them to another piece of furniture or equipment, for example a chair, a wheelchair, a trolley bed, a toilet, or a treatment pool.

Hoists and lifts similar to transfer lifts may be used to enable a patient to attain an upright posture, or to bear weight on their legs in a controlled manner as part of an occupational therapy treatment.

Although uncommon in domestic situations, some people do find these lifts a great asset in the home. Furthermore, they may enable someone who would otherwise require accommodating in a nursing home or special care centre to continue living at home or with their family.

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