Hoyer help - sling advice

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AKY10

Member
Joined
May 26, 2021
Messages
14
Reason
Lost a loved one
Diagnosis
02/2020
Country
US
State
NJ
City
Bordentown
Hi,

I’ve seen the helpful discussion of the:

Liko HygieneVest High Back Sling Model 55​

and I have a few questions.

We are using the usual u-shaped sling with plastic support under the back that came with his original hoyer when ordered by the ALS Clinic. Because it’s so bulky, we can’t leave it behind him during the day. Also it blocked his head array.

Now that he has a lot more core weakness, is leaning to the left a good deal, bowels are getting less predictable (not that they ever have been on feeding tube) and we have to steer him to the commode with a caregiver control on back of chair - the sling is not working. I think the Liko could help by the fact that we could leave it behind him, at least for part of the day and make transfer to the commode faster.

We do not have a shower so we don’t use a shower chair. Basically we are using a sling to hoyer him from hospital bed to his chair in the am and then to commode as needed and then to hospital bed before bed.

Can the Liko sling be put under him in the hospital bed while he is in a flat position? By rolling as we do with the present sling? It’s difficult with the hospice hospital bed to get him in a sit up position where we can pull him forward to get a sling behind his back.

Also, I have seen a similar sling on the Adaptive Specialties website called

Handicare Hygiene Sling with High Back​

and it’s about 1/2 the price of the Liko. Is anyone familiar with this one and whether this would work?

I’m just not sure what to do at this point to make things a little easier on both of us. The commode situation is the toughest part.

Any thoughts, ideas, advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

 
Opinions here may differ, but I don't believe a sling of any sort should be left on, when it only takes a couple of minutes to apply it, starting with the back. The wheelchair is designed for someone's back, not a sling, and of course there is potential skin injury even through clothing. Are you sure the sling is the right size? What step takes the longest to get it on?

By "plastic support," do you mean a solid piece inside the sling or just that the sling has a back to it?

Best,
Laurie
 
I really understand about not leaving a sling behind a person in the chair due to skin issues and I do worry about that. I wouldn't want anything like that to happen.

I'm trying to make the hoyer/commode situation go more smoothly - we have to "drive" him to the commode. It's the way our house/DME situation is set up.

The sling we're using is the right size and the plastic support is the piece of curved plastic that sits under the sling material behind his back to give the back and head support.

The highback sling might be helpful even if we don't leave it behind him. Just not fighting the plastic piece when getting it behind him in the chair would be good. Also, hoping it would make pulling pants down and clean up easier.
 
AKY10, I am using the Liko HygieneVest High Back Sling Model 55. I do not find it as comfortable as the "standard" sling, but the Liko sling is much easier to put on and remove and it is the one we use. The Liko sling could be put on while lying flat, but it would require rolling. My wife keeps a long piece of sheet material across the bed behind my shoulders in bed. When we raise the head of the bed to the maximum position she can grip the ends of the cloth and use it to pull me forward enough to get the vest behind my back. The piece of cloth is about 18 inches wide so it is not pressing on a narrow area of my back as she pulls me forward.

If you do get the Liko vest, I suggest that you pay attention to the adjustment information regarding the tautness of the straps. There are six attachment points: two for the legs, two for the chest, and two for the shoulders. As the lift is raised, the tension on each strap should be approximately the same. There are some loops provided to help make that adjustment. Also, I find it more comfortable if the chest portion is around my rib cage and not below it. The way the straps are threaded causes the chest portion to tighten as the lift is raised, and it can be uncomfortable if it is too low.

You mentioned that you do not have a shower and so are not using a shower chair, but perhaps you might be able to obtain a commode chair that would roll over your existing toilet, allowing you to transfer to the commode chair in the bedroom and then roll that into the bathroom. Most of them offer a container below the seat which could be used in an urgent situation.

Regarding cleanup, I have had good success using a bidet-style replacement toilet seat. They vary greatly in price so some information-gathering may be needed for you to decide what features are important to you. Basically, they use a stream or jet of water to do the cleaning rather than toilet tissue or baby wipes. I do not know if a bidet seat would work with a rollover commode chair.

Best regards,
 
AKY10, I just noticed another thread titled "One person Hoyer transfer" where the Liko sling is discussed and may provide you with helpful information. You should be able to see it in the "new posts" view.
 
I did see the helpful info in that thread and posted there also. Thanks for your response and the info about your experience with the Liko. I mentioned in my post in the “One person hoyer” post that we have a small half bath so we couldn’t use a commode chair that rolls over the toilet. My husband did use a bidet toilet seat for awhile and loved it. It was sad when we could not longer have him use it. Thanks again for your reponse!
 
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