Using Patient Handling Equipment in Acute Care Facilities

Summary. Oxford Healthcare offers versatile acute care hospital solutions, enhancing patient care and caregiver safety. With a leading range of moving and handling equipment such as hoists, slings, and stand aids, we help facilitate seamless patient transfers, catering to diverse mobility needs in acute care settings.

Oxford Healthcare is a highly experienced and trusted provider of patient handling equipment with more than 70 years in the field. We deliver equipment that truly improves the care of patients and helps protect the health of professionals.

What Is Acute Care?

Acute care describes the level of healthcare whereby a patient requires urgent treatment. Generally speaking, it covers short-term treatment and rehabilitation for injuries, illnesses, medical conditions, and infectious diseases. Patients often arrive at acute care via an ambulance, ambulatory surgery, through A&E, or an urgent care centre.

Whilst a stay in hospital might be necessary, acute care is considered short term. The aim is to discharge patients as soon as they have been treated and assessed as being sufficiently healthy, mobile and independent enough to return to their own home or to a residential care facility.

Acute Care Hospital Solutions

With acute care being necessary for a wealth of different patients with injuries, ailments and rehabilitation needs, equipment within this care setting needs to be incredibly versatile.

Examples of equipment for an acute care facility include:

  • Hoists and slings
  • Stand assist devices
  • Patient turners
  • Slide sheets and gloves
  • Beds and support surfaces

When it comes to acute care hospital solutions, Oxford Healthcare offer a wide variety of hoisting solutions, specially designed to assist caregivers in lifting, transferring and repositioning patients, whilst minimising the physical demands placed on care staff. Active stand-aids and passive mobile lifts are two of the more common types of acute care solutions that we provide here at Oxford Healthcare, helping to ensure safe and comfortable movement for those who require assistance.

Active Stand Aids

An active stand aid is a type of lifting device used to assist patients in transitioning from a seated position to standing. These products are usually prescribed for use by those with reduced mobility levels but with some ability to contribute effort to the process.

Some examples of active stand aids include:

Oxford Journey

The Oxford Journey is a compact, folding, electrically operated stand aid with a safe working load of 155kg/24st. It has unique functionality including the ability to fold in a matter of seconds and an adjustable cow horn to better accommodate different patient sizes. Integrated lift counter, service prompts and overload protection helps ensure the Oxford Journey remains in tip-top condition for longer.

Oxford Up

The Oxford Up is suitable for those who need assistance when standing but can contribute effort towards the process. It has contoured swing-away seat pads that provide a means for seated transfers. This stand assist solution can play a fundamental role in transferring patients in acute care settings and can also play a role in patient rehabilitation.

Passive Lifts

Oxford Advance

The Oxford Advance is a versatile patient lift that simplifies the transfer process, whether it be from a wheelchair, chair, bed, bath, or from the floor. Its swan-neck leg design enables the device to get close to obstacles, particularly useful when hoisting from wheelchairs or bulky chairs. The Oxford Advance lift can be compactly folded away too, making it suitable for acute care rooms where space may be limited.

Oxford Presence

The Oxford Presence is a heavy-duty ward hoist, with a safe working load of 227kg/35st. With this in mind, it is strong enough to handle the majority of patient-handling tasks with relative ease. Its impressive lifting range ensures it can accommodate even the most critical of patient transfers – including from the floor to high-level surfaces, making it one of the most versatile hoists to have on an acute ward.

 

Hoists and Slings For Acute Care

Oxford Healthcare’s solutions enable people with mobility restrictions to be transferred easily and safely in acute care environments. If you would like to find out about our acute care solutions, then head to our website today. Alternatively, you can call 0344 811 1158 to speak to a member of our helpful and friendly team.

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