Portable Patient Lifts
Portable patient lifts – commonly called patient Hoyer lifts or portable total body lifts – are a proven solution for individuals who need assistance transferring between a bed, wheelchair, commode, or chair at home. Hoyer lifts are designed to give you the ability to move from a bed, chair, or wheelchair safely. These lifts are portable and self-contained and can be used where ceiling lifts are not available or practical. Whether you’re a family caregiver or a person managing a disability or recovery, NSM’s team of specialists will help you find the right portable patient lift for your home and lifestyle.
Who Are Portable Patient Lifts For?
Often referred to generally as patient Hoyer lifts, these devices are essential home accessibility tools designed for
- Caregivers: To prevent back injuries and physical exhaustion by doing the heavy lifting for them.
- Seniors Aging in Place: Allowing older adults with limited mobility to stay in their own homes safely.
- Individuals with Disabilities: Those living with conditions like ALS, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, or paralysis.
- Post-Surgical Patients: Individuals needing temporary, heavy-duty assistance during a long recovery.
With local NSM branches across the country, our accessibility professionals are right in your community, ready to evaluate your home and recommend the perfect lift for your specific needs.
Why Choose a Portable Patient Lift for Home Use?
At NSM, we offer a variety of transfer solutions, including custom ceiling lifts and free-standing transfer systems. So, why might a portable patient lift be the best choice for your home?
- Versatility & Room-to-Room Mobility: Unlike a ceiling lift, which is restricted to the track’s path, or a free-standing system, which typically remains stationary over a bed, a portable patient lift is on wheels. You can securely transfer a patient from the bedroom, roll them down the hall, and assist them in the living room or bathroom using a single device.
- No Home Modifications Needed: Ceiling lifts require permanent structural installation and track mounting. A portable patient lift requires no construction, making it the perfect solution for renters or those who need an immediate, no-drill solution.
- Easy Storage and Travel: Many portable patient lifts for home use can be disassembled or folded down. This allows you to store the unit in a closet when not in use or even pack it into a compatible vehicle for travel, something you simply cannot do with fixed transfer systems.
- Cost-Effective: Because there is no structural installation required, portable lifts often present a more budget-friendly upfront option while still providing top-tier safety.
Looking for a permanent, zero-footprint solution? Explore our Ceiling Lifts and Free-Standing Transfer Systems.
FAQs about Patient Hoyer Lifts
1. What is the difference between a portable patient lift and a Hoyer lift?
“Hoyer” is actually a brand name that has become synonymous with patient lifts over the years, much like “Kleenex” is to tissue. A patient Hoyer lift and a portable patient lift are essentially the same thing: a wheeled, mechanical or electrical device used to safely lift and transfer individuals.
2. Are portable patient lifts for home use easy to operate?
Yes. Modern portable lifts are designed with user-friendly controls. Manual (hydraulic) lifts use a simple pump handle, while electric lifts use a push-button remote control. However, these lifts are designed to be operated by a caregiver; the patient cannot operate the lift themselves while in the sling.
3. Will a portable patient lift fit through standard doorways?
Most portable patient lifts for home use feature an adjustable U-shaped base. The base can be widened to fit securely around a wheelchair or recliner and narrowed to easily roll through standard residential doorways and hallways.
4. Can I use a portable patient lift on carpet?
Yes, but the thickness of the carpet matters. While the high-quality casters (wheels) on our lifts are designed to glide smoothly over hard floors and low-pile carpets, thick or plush carpeting can make it harder for the caregiver to push the lift. During your free local home evaluation, an NSM expert will assess your flooring to ensure a portable lift is practical for your space.
5. Is a special sling required?
Yes. Patient lifts require a compatible fabric sling to hold the user safely. Slings come in various sizes and styles (U-sling, full-body, toileting, etc.). Your local NSM team will help you choose the correct sling based on the user’s weight, height, and specific medical needs.
Let Us Find the Right Portable Patient Lift for Your Home
Because every home and mobility challenge is unique, localized, hands-on service is key. National Seating & Mobility has branches nationwide staffed by certified home accessibility experts. Contact us today to schedule a free, no-obligation home evaluation and discover which portable patient lift is right for your home.
Why NSM?
At NSM, we are uniquely positioned to search hundreds of sources for the precise components needed to create mobility and accessibility solutions that are made specifically to meet the needs of each client. But what really sets NSM apart is our approach:
Your safety comes first, no matter what.
Nothing is more important to us than your health and safety. Our Serving Safely commitment means you can feel confident we're going above and beyond to put your safety first, no matter what.
We deliver customized solutions to fit your needs.
By bringing together industry-leading expertise, uniquely engineered systems and breakthrough technologies, we deliver personalized solutions catered to your specific needs.
Our calling goes beyond being a preferred provider of mobility solutions.
We seek to build lifelong relationships full of compassion that honor your journey of independence with ingenuity and excellence that helps you move through life.
Let's Get Moving.
No matter your mobility need, we have innovative products and a reliable team of experts to keep you moving so you can enjoy life to the fullest - wherever it takes you. Send us a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
