Ceiling Hoists

A ceiling hoist is a mechanical system that makes it easier to lift and move a patient or individual with limited mobility.

Hoists are one of the most essential tools in a care environment. Whether it's a hospital, rehabilitation centre, or a senior care home, care providers will need to aid people who may not be able to move freely by themselves. Patient lifting hoists allow for the simple and safe positioning, movement, and transfer of patients with mobility issues, ensuring that care providers avoid injury, and users get the respect and comfort that they deserve.

Today's ceiling hoists come with a wide variety of different features and functionality depending on the manufacturer that you choose to buy from. Weight capacity is a crucial factor for any purchase that is intended to support the needs of a patient. If your facility sees a lot of plus-sized patients, a tool with the ability to manage greater weights will be necessary.

• The physical needs of the patient: How much can they move on their own?
• The cognitive needs of the patient: Can they communicate their comfort or discomfort for you?
• The flexibility of the hoist: Can it be moved to different parts of the facility, or is it only necessary for one specific room? For instance, you may need a standing hoist that's specifically required to help people stand up in the bath.
• The space you have for the hoist: You'll need to make sure that you choose a hoist that fits into the room you've chosen.

• The room covering rail system
• The single track rail system
• Combination system

The room-covering rail system comprises two parallel rails installed on the ceiling, the wall or on freestanding upright support brackets. A traverse rail runs between the parallel rails. The hoist itself glides backwards and forwards on the underside of the traverse rail in a travelling trolley, which is equipped with wheels that run inside the rail. Horizontal movement is smooth and comfortable for the user. The room-covering system makes it possible to lift the person to and from any place in the room and is the optimum solution in rooms where many lifts are carried out.

Installing a room-covering system saves space and provides an extremely high degree of freedom. The bed, a wheelchair and the other furniture in the room can be placed as desired and lifting can be carried out rapidly, easily and comfortably both with regard to the carer and patient. In addition the planner has considerable freedom to design the rooms in the building – both because the system saves space and because it offers flexibility when lifting a person. In some cases the parallel rails can be built into the ceiling so that only the lower part of them is of them is visible.

In its basic form the single track rail system comprises a single rail in which the ceiling hoist runs. The system can be extended with curves of various angles, GH Switch tracks and GH Turn tables. The single track system is very suitable for moving people over longer distances.

Over and above this the single track system can be used in the same situations and rooms as the room-covering system. But attention should be paid to the fact that wheelchairs, beds and other aid facilities must be located directly beneath the rail. This places limitations on the layout of the room due to the location of the rail. In some cases the rail can be built into the ceiling so that only the lower part is visible.

It is possible to combine the room-covering system with a single track rail system in adjacent rooms with the help of a GH Combi-lock. A Safety lock is installed on the traverse rail in the room covering system to prevent the hoist from running out of the rail. Another Safety lock is installed on the single track rail system. Together will the two Safety locks form a Combi lock.

When the traverse rail and the single track are aligned, both Safety gates will open, and the hoist can be moved from one system to the other without problems. The rail in the single track rail system must be installed at a right angle to the parallel rails on the room-covering rail system. The parallel rail in the room-covering system which is closest to the room with the single track system must be installed some distance into the room to provide space for the safety lock and the Combi-lock between the wall and the rail.

Once it has been established that there is a need to carry out lifts in several rooms, a decision must be made as to how the patient or resident will be moved from room to room and from rail system to rail system. The door opening can either be heightened so that the rail can be led directly through and the hoist can be run from room to room without stopping. Or a Swing solution can be chosen, where the original height of the door opening can be retained and the disabled person be “swung” through the door opening.

This can be carried out with two hoists where the hanger is “swung” through the door opening. Rail transition is the most functional solution both for the disabled person and the carer. However, attention should be drawn to the fact that there are certain limitations and problems in connection with a Swing solution.

Advantages of the Swing solution:

• Saves the expense of heightening the door opening and door plate.

Disadvantages of the Swing solution:

• Moving the disabled person from room to room is time consuming.
• The carer must be given special instructions in order to be able to carry out the move correctly.
• It is necessary to use two hoists – one in each room.

A ceiling hoist system can be installed on the ceiling, on the wall, or with the help of upright support brackets. The method of installation should be chosen on the basis of the specific conditions in each situation.

Ceiling installation can be carried out on:

• Concrete ceilings
• Wooden constructions (requires reinforcement between rafters)
• Roof cassettes

Wall installation can be carried out on:

• Brick walls
• Concrete walls
• Light walls such as wooden and plasterboard walls Upright support bracket

Upright support brackets are used when:

• Ceiling or wall installation is inappropriate or difficult due to lack of strength or other installations in the ceiling or on the walls

• When it is impossible to mount the traverse rail between the parallel rails, because lamps, smoke alarms or similar equipment have been installed on the ceiling.
• When the traverse and parallel rails cannot be of equal height.