Getting back on your feet
Lifting an elderly person after a fall can be difficult and dangerous, but one company's inflatable designs could help. Robert Mair from BetterCaring tested them.
A fall for an elderly person can cause serious injuries and damage self-confidence. Indeed, even the most outgoing and adventurous pensioner can become a nervous wreck as a result of a fall.
One company that claims to have done all the necessary research to get people back on their feet is Mangar International with its two lifting aids; the Elk (Emergency Lifting Cushion) and the Camel (Complete Air Moving Elevating Lift). Both have been designed to lift prone, fallen people by using compressed air in the same way as a dinghy is inflated.
The Elk
The Elk is used to move people lying on the floor into a sitting position. The person can be transferred to a chair or stand once they have regained their composure.
Weighing about 8lbs and shaped like a sleeping bag, the Elk is discreet, lightweight and portable. It works by being rolled out flat next to the stricken person, who can then be rolled on top. The device is then inflated. It's particularly useful if the person is showing no sign of movement, or you're using it in a confined space.
To inflate, ensure the person is in the centre, plug in the remote and valves to the airflo pump, and then insert the valves into the Elk. This works by using the Elk's four numbered, colour-coded adaptors found on each inflating chamber. Simply push the valve into the corresponding socket and it's set to go. Achieved with minimal fuss, the Elk is designed to get people up off the floor quickly - something it succeeds in effortlessly.
By setting the speed of the airflo to fast, it takes no time to inflate the chambers - perhaps 10 seconds per chamber at most. Also, there's no danger of over-inflating or bursting the Elk; once the section is fully inflated, the power cuts out - perfect if you're busy comforting the person.
Provided the person is central, the inflation should be straightforward and aside from a little rolling there should be no problems. It is best, however, to support the person by the shoulders to ensure they don't move. This means the Elk ideally needs two people to safely inflate the device, which could be its only drawback.
The Camel
Maybe with this in mind, Mangar has invented the Camel. Like the Elk, the Camel works in much the same way and is designed to lift a stricken person off the floor into the sitting position. But with the addition of a backrest, only one person is needed to do the inflating and lifting.
Slightly bigger and more robust than the Elk, the Camel works in a similar way, although the first chamber is the backrest and this can be inflated in stages.
The strength of the Camel and Elk is that they are light when inflated - even though they become rock solid. They feel reliable and durable, and would give great confidence to the person being lifted and the attendant using it. It's not surprising that ambulances carry both designs around with them. Their compact size makes them perfect for lifting people in confined spaces rapidly and with the minimum of fuss.
In fact, there's not a lot that the Elk and Camel can be faulted for. Made of wipe-clean polyurethane, they're easy to store and they collapse easily and rapidly when they're ready to deflate.
Both are also far easier to use when compared to a hoist or other lifting devices because the force comes from below rather than above. The fact that they're portable and occupy very little space also gives them one up on an unwieldy hoist.
They're cost effective too. With the ambulance service now charging for non-emergency call outs, which includes lifting non-injured people off the floor, the Elk and Camel represent a good investment for cost-conscious care homes. But they're not cheap; the Elk is £945, the Camel £1,700. Nevertheless, it's value in the long run and means you don't need to wait for an ambulance to arrive to do the lifting. The fact that one airflo could be used to power them all also makes them attractive if you're planning to purchase a number of Elks or Camels.
However, neither the Elk nor Camel should be used on a person with injuries. If someone complains of neck, head or back injuries, then medical advice should be sought instead.
Bettercaring
The Old Tannery
Hensington Road
Woodstock
Oxfordshire
OX20 1JL
T: 01993 810300
F: 01993 810318
3.1.2008