One of the nurses at the SNF Derek is staying in for a few days said she would demonstrate this device for me later today and I can determine if it's something we can use for him at home. Any of you had personal experience with one? Thanks.

My dad used one for a short while, when he had leg strength (ie, he could stand up).

We have one machine that's been passed around our local support group for the last few years, so several families have found it useful. I'd estimate that on average it is used for less than 6 months before it's passed on to someone else.

Pat,
I find this interesting , I searched around a bit until I found a video or demo of it and it does kind of look like a Hoyer lift a bit but my question here is this something a person would have to sit in like a wheelchair, from what I seen I wondered. Do you have a lift chair at home, would that be helpful but again as Robin mentioned I guess these things will only work if the legs are strong enough, I also would like to know more about it.

I got to try one out this afternoon at the SNF and it works great. It stands them upright rather than in a sling like a Hoyer lift and will seat them right on the toilet, wheelchair, or wherever you want. I'm going to get one and have a PT or OT come out to teach me the best ways of using it in our house. My daughter is giving us a hospital bed. I may have to keep him in the SNF for an extra week because I can't get the paperwork done for Medicare for the device or the PT/OT home visits until after the holidays. He's lost so much ground this past month it's unbelievable I am convinced I either have to place him permanently [which I don't want] or get this equipment to keep him at home.

My younger daughter, who worked at a SNF, was the first to recommend the 'sit-to-stand' to me. They have quite a few of them at the SNF but I had never seen one before.

I'll be spending Christmas with him at the SNF, which I find kind of sad but he never liked Christmas anyway and couldn't care less about how we observe it. This whole decline is just too sad for words. We get kind of used to them being at a certain level, unpleasant though it sometimes is, and then--boom! It all changes!

Pat,
I can certainly understand the sadness, its really hard but you are being wise knowing you can only bring him homw if you have the right tools to help you help him, this is such a draining illness not only emotinally but financially, it takes everything we got ! Was he a bit more settled today well I guess I mean yesterday as I am on an earlier time clock!

Yes, Irene, he was pretty calm. He still doesn't realize he's not home. He does seem to realize I'm 'me' [which he didn't usually at home], although he doesn't know my name, and asks where my bed is, if I have to go out, etc. He sits with his eyes closed [but not asleep] much of the time but will have spurts of energy and will walk around with his walker [with me]. Every morning when I go in I'm afraid of what I'll find--not necessarily the level of care but his general decline.

This morning I have to take the car out of town for service so I'll be gone for a few hours and not able to see him until this afternoon. I made some fudge and toffee/chocolate bars to take to the staff. It kept me occupied last night so I didn't dwell on the situation.

This one is close to the one I tried out: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://accessiblehomesllc.com/wp-content/files_flutter/th_c0e2fb5477d5353aa6d5f6fa0499bb0a_1245285021Sittostand3.jpg&imgrefurl=http://accessiblehomesllc.com/ceiling-lift-transfer-aids/transfer-equipmentsit-to-stand/&h=500&w=398&sz=40&tbnid=cQV8g7g3R4XzNM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=103&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsit-to-stand&zoom=0&q=sit-to-stand&usg=__1XbZwO5Qqg9JkEyodKyTFeeGcOU=&sa=X&ei=eb8QTdXEAoGqsAPfxsWzAg&ved=0CFcQ9QEwDA

The purpose of this device is mainly as a means to transfer him from bed to wheelchair, wheelchair to toilet, etc. It serves the same purpose as the Hoyer lift except they aren't lifted up off the floor in a sling.

Yes, you lift them up with it then you move them--in an upright position--to where you want to place them, then lower them down. There's probably a video online somewhere.

I understand why I was a bit confused after viewing your link, here is the one I looked at last night , which is why I was thinking it was something they actually sit in, yours looks like it goes around the torso and this one looks like it sits undert the butt!




http://www.easystand.com/5000/index.cfm