Only one caregiver is usually required for transfer (floor lifts usually require that two
caregivers be present)
Safer for patient than floor or overhead lifts (patient is less likely to be dropped during transfer which is a danger when patients
are hoisted in slings)
Less exposure to law suits (increased safety means less liability)
No need to have different slings for different patients based on weight,
size and type of disability (use of sling is
eliminated)
Patient anxiety can decrease when there is no hoisting
~80% fewer transfers since patient remains in chair for
showering /
toileting
Decreased pain during transfer because there is no bending or compressing
the patient in
a standard flexible sling (fewer pain-killing drugs required)
Patient's head is not raised as usually occurs when patients are hoisted during transfer (blood pressure
remains stable avoiding possible orthostatic hypotension)
Patient can be transferred in prone position (this is not advisable with
most flexible slings)
Patients with full or partial body casts can be transferred (lifts
which force the patient's body to bend often cannot transfer such patients
unless the caregiver has access to a specialized "stretcher-sling")
Reduced danger of tearing and bruising of skin during transfer (friction
and shear forces that sometimes occur when using slings
are greatly reduced)
Not necessary to clear the area under the bed to accommodate the floor lift's wheeled base
No danger of the floor lift's wheels jamming because of carpet or other
obstacles while moving a hoisted patient
Transfer sheet is radiolucent with no metal to obstruct X-Ray or CAT
scan equipment
(slings may have snaps, hooks, etc. that could interfere with such devices)
Transfer system and mobile chair are the same device (no extra mobile
equipment to schedule, retrieve, or store)
More compact to use (the floor lift-mobile chair combination of devices will not
always fit in the patient's room)
Store as you would a normal fixed wheelchair (no additional mobility equipment to
store)
Cost effective (cost is expected to be comparable to powered floor lifts)
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