I wrote an article earlier about a series of accidents I experienced several months ago when I injured both of my legs, leaving me unable to use my legs in any weight-bearing situation or even while laying down in bed.  I wrote about some of the home assistance medical products I used that I found to be the most helpful. I say this now because the following items are what I would have liked to have during my recovery.  When a person doesn’t have any or very little use of the legs it affects his or her lifestyle in a variety of ways. 

For example, during my recovery period it was impossible to take a bath and yet all I wanted to do was to sit in some hot water and relax.  That not being possible I had to take showers which were quite a nerve racking experience in their own way.  One thing I could have used to get me in and out of the bathtub was the Bathing Cushion Bathtub Lift.  Powered by low air pressure and inflating in seconds, this portable lift could have helped me to achieve my goal in bathing without the immense fear of falling.  Using a battery operated Airflo air compressor, this bathtub lift can quickly inflate to assist a user with reasonable upper body stability to get in and out of the tub without a lot of bending and lifting the legs over the bathtub edge.  And once done with the bath, this 4.5 pound bath lift can easily be neatly folded and stored away until further use is required.  The lumbar support of the bath lift will allow the user to choose whether he or she would like to lie down or sit up in the tub, allowing the entire length of the tub to be used.  This seems to be a lot safer than standing up in a shower with two bad legs, hoping not to fall on the slippery shower floor.

When I was first injured I had to spend a lot of time in bed and not being able to use my legs to help move around on the bed I had to spend most of the time flat on my back.  I often wanted to sit up against the head board so I could watch TV or even comfortably read a book but without my legs helping me push my way up, I was not able to sit up.  As my recovery continued and the pain in my legs subsided, I still had weakened legs and was not able to easily push off with them to help me get into a sitting position.  This lead to a lot of ‘worming around’ by twisting my torso and using my arms to push. After an incredible expenditure of time, effort and movement I was able to finally sit up against the headboard.  What would have been very helpful at the time would have been the Handy Pillow Lift.  The Handy Pillow Lift is an air-filled back support device that will elevate the user into a seated position by simply pressing a button, eliminating the tussle and strains of slowly worming up the bed to sit.  By simply placing the Handy Pillow Lift on top of the mattress, the battery powered Airflo compressor smoothly inflates, easily elevating the user into a comfortable sitting position, providing stable and proper support. When it is not in use, the portable, lightweight and quite Handy Pillow Lift can be rolled up for storage or for easy transport.    

During my recovery time I fell twice, each time reinjuring my legs and setting my recovery back to square one.  After each fall I would lie on the floor for hours where afterward I would then drag myself to someplace in the house where I could use furniture to very slowly lift myself up to a point where I could stand up.  Each time was quite an ordeal that I hope to never experience again.  At the time, I wish I had the Camel Inflatable Patient Lift to help me easily get off the floor.  The Camel Lift is designed to sit up and safely lift a fallen person up from the floor and can be used either independently or with assistance. The Camel is a great device to have at home or to be used in a clinical or institutional setting. The Camel Inflatable Patient Lift comes with a portable compressor and can lift up to 700 pounds making it useful for bariatric people or to provide a stable lift for an elderly or frail person.  It is also portable, weighing only 14 pounds, and can be folded into its convenient transport bag to be stored away in a closet or trunk of a car. 

These inflatable portable lifts can be used in a home, carried in the car by a therapist, or used in a clinic or adult care setting.  During the times when I worked in psychiatric hospitals, usually in the geriatric unit, I would have liked to have the Camel Inflatable Patient Lift to use instead of physically picking up the patient, or using the bulky and often uncomfortable traditional patient lifts.  

Helping an individual with physical problems to get off the floor after a falling accident can be a very difficult problem for both the patient and caregiver.  Also, recovering at home either alone or with one other person and trying to pick yourself up after a fall can also be a long and tedious struggle.  The best way to avoid the pain and tribulation of getting off the floor is to have an easy-to-store and easy-to-use lift device ready for instant use.  Everyone falls at times in their lives, especially the older one gets. The falling part is bad enough, but with the use of an inflatable lift, getting back up can now be done in a manner that is a lot more painless and secure for everybody. 

Bill Stock
Executive Editor,
Content & Social Media Services
and
Hulet Smith, OT
Rehabmart Team Leader & CEO