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KimT

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My contractor is going to start demolition of my baster bath on Monday. It is a huge project and it will be a complete tear down. Materials have been ordered and we have a good floor plan on paper. The only thing left to do is commit to a track system from my master bedroom to the master bath.

For those of you who elected a track system, can you tell me the company you bought it from and cost? We're looking at about $12,000 extra because it has to go a pretty long distance from my bed to the shower and to the toilet. It is automatic and can be run with a remote control. Prism is the company he has spoken to. He showed me his discounted quote. One of the issues I have here is that there is no wood in our building. I am across the street from the ocean and my building is cement and steel. I have high ceilings. When they opened the ceiling yesterday, the steel was 14 inches up from the drywall. I've really tossed it back and forth about doing the ceiling track versus the Hoyer lift and, aside from the money, I see no benefit of the Hoyer and it's just one more thing to clutter up my bedroom.

Feedback much appreciated.
 
Kim, I don't know the price on ours (VA did it), but if you can do a track, do it. It's so much easier on me as the caregiver and on my husband (who is being moved). Since I put him into a shower chair, the track into the shower isn't used much now (just once recently I sent him that way and hosed him off while in the sling, but if you want to save money you might drop that segment).
 
We were very happy with our ceiling lift system. Here are a few of the choices we were glad we made:

1) We got a portable hoist (maker: EZ Way) so we could use it in multiple locations. Note, the patient can't independently control movement along a ceiling track with a portable system, but with ALS that does not matter because there is always someone there to help.

2) Although we removed the header between the bedroom and bathroom in anticipation of extending the track into the bathroom, we ultimately did not extend the track system outside of the bedroom because all bathroom activities were done on a rolling, tilting commode/shower chair. All transfers with the ceiling lift were done in the bedroom. If we had extended the lift system into the bathroom, it would have been an unnecessary expense.

3) In the master bedroom, we paid extra for a "full coverage" ceiling track system, which was awesome and totally worth it. In another bedroom we had a single, straight track, which worked fine but required careful positioning of the wheelchair every time. Instead of positioning the track perpendicular to the bed, we positioned it diagonal to the bed to allow for greater use of the area next to the bed for the wheelchair.
 
I would recommend getting estimates from multiple vendors. We also have a X-Y system in the bedroom and bathroom to provide full coverage of those rooms. We did not originally know how the bedroom was going to be arranged prior to installing the ceiling lift and it gives us a lot of flexibility.
You might also want to ask to verify that the lift is long enough to reach the floor with your high ceilings.
What is the issue with the wood? I imagine the ceiling track should be able to be anchored to the concrete or the steel.

Matt
 
I just thought being able to do away with the Hoyer lift would be a huge benefit. Also, I thought that the ceiling lift that went into the shower (which is 4.5 x 7) would make it less work for a caregiver. The toilet part is the most important for me. Does the cradle swivel around because I'll be coming into the bathroom looking forward and the toilet will be to my left.

There won't be enough room for me to put a power chair right next to the toilet for a transfer so I thought the track going into the bathroom would be mandatory.

Daytona does not have these types of companies. Jacksonville does.

Did anyone's actual vendor do the installation, too, and come out for a consult?
 
Normally the manufacturer (arjo-huntleigh, Liko, Prism, etc.) of the lift does not do the installation. If you go to their websites, find their phone number and they will give you the number of the sales rep in your area.
The contractor will have to come out to lay out the system for the estimate and may have suggestions.
While in the sling, I turn 90 degrees to sit on the toilet. I travel into the bathroom from West to East, and face north when seated on the toilet. With the x-y system, the lift does not turn to get me into position. The ceiling track needs to be above the toilet.
Matt
 
Hi Kim
Is there enough room to get a shower chair into the bathroom and over the toilet when needed. We do all bathroom functions from the commode/shower chair. I don't quite understand why a track into the bathroom would be mandatory, it would be a nice but if you get a good shower chair that can activate the bidet toilet has head support and reclines you are pretty well covered.

Wendy
 
The general contractor was here all day yesterday laying it out. He called the supplier three times asking various questions.

Wendy, I have a 40 inch clearance on the toilet. I'm not moving the toilet in the middle of the room. It's tucked into a 40 inch nook. It's new and has the bidet. There is an exhaust fan above it which I can have repositioned to get the track ending in the right place.

I think my main concern is that I just don't understand how these tracks work as far as exact positioning. Matt, I think you answered at least part of my question. I'll be entering the bathroom facing east. The track will turn South and split West (to enter my shower) or keep going South to get to the toilet which is facing East. So on approach to the toilet, I don't know how to get it to turn 180 degrees.
 
Not to hijack your thread, but please allow me to comment for the benefit of newbies, Kim, that most PALS end up with a Hoyer-style "floor lift" rather than a track system, aka "ceiling lift.

Advantages of the floor lift in addition to lower or no cost (many of us get ALSA loaners) include ability to pick you up off the floor if needed, and portability for travel if you get one that folds. In locked position, some can also lower you into a pool or motor vehicle.

Options for tight bathrooms include transferring the PALS to a shower/commode chair in an area with more space, then wheeling into the bathroom, or staying in the floor lift, then taking the lift into the bathroom to hover on or over the existing commode.
 
Hi Kim

The system we are installing is from sure hands. You can Google them or check out their videos. We are only putting it in the bedroom and master bath. It will transfer bed to toilet to sink to shower to chair or any such combination. They do their own installation separate from the contractor. I am going to meet them next Wednesday to try out the sizing on the harness. Cost is $16k. I do believe the harnesses are also interchangeable with the hoyer lifts. Also sure hands does sell used systems and you may find that your local rep may be able to help with that. Our local guy who covers OR happens to live about a mile from our house which is convenient. Our Reno is underway and should be done end of March.
 
Hi Kim

The system we are installing is from sure hands. You can Google them or check out their videos. We are only putting it in the bedroom and master bath. It will transfer bed to toilet to sink to shower to chair or any such combination. They do their own installation separate from the contractor. I am going to meet them next Wednesday to try out the sizing on the harness. Cost is $16k. I do believe the harnesses are also interchangeable with the hoyer lifts. Also sure hands does sell used systems and you may find that your local rep may be able to help with that. Our local guy who covers OR happens to live about a mile from our house which is convenient. Our Reno is underway and should be done end of March.

I saw the Sure Hands site and e-mailed it to my contractor. I didn't know they did their own installations. Thanks. I'll let Scott know so he can contact them.

Did they give you information on how long it would take and how they protect your furniture?
 
Advantages of the floor lift in addition to lower or no cost (many of us get ALSA loaners) include ability to pick you up off the floor if needed, and portability for travel if you get one that folds. In locked position, some can also lower you into a pool or motor vehicle.

Because of the greater situational flexibility of the standing lift, and also because it's good to have around in case of an emergency, I would advise still keeping a standing lift if you get a ceiling track system. If ALSA can't loan you one, try Craigslist, where I've seen them offered for as little as $100.

Although we loved our portable ceiling lift system, we did have some situations where our spare standing lift came in handy.
 
Hi Kim
I cannot quite picture why you will need to turn 180 degrees if you be facing east when on the toilet after traveling south.
If you need to turn 180 degrees, maybe when you get into the sling you can sit backwards while traveling into the bathroom.

As mentioned, depending on your space, you may have multiple options available. When I was still somewhat mobile we had a company come out with an OT that suggested a ceiling lift just above the bed to transfer from the bed to wheelchair or from the bed to a shower chair roll over the toilet or into the shower. We tried a few different loaner shower chairs that would not fit into the bathroom.
When I was at the end of being able to walk, we found a company that would bring a Hoyer lift to the house to try out. We have a very small bathroom and hallway. The Hoyer type lift would not fit in our house. We ended up using a sit to stand for transfers from wheelchair to toilet, to bed and to shower.
When the sit to stand was no longer feasible, we went with ceiling lift.

Matt
 
My bathroom is very large. I just talked to Sure Hands and they are coming for an evaluation on Friday. If we can agree on a price, they will work with my general contractor and do the install during the remodel.

The other company just wants to ship the parts to my general contractor and have him do the entire install.

Sure Hands will service and do maintenance on it. I don't mind paying a little more if it's done correctly.
 
Hi Kim

I got the impression that the install goes pretty quick. We aren't moving to the house until end of March so I don't have furniture for them to protect. Our renovations are pretty extensive but we are at a point now that the floors are in for sure hands to do their installation over the next 4 weeks. I will keep you posted on the progress.
 
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