LIFT-UP: WHEN YOUR LOVED ONE FALLS DOWN AND CAN’T GET UP

There are several products available today that help those who desire independence. Life gives challenges and obstacles to those who are not fully prepared for the massive wave of inconvenience that crashes upon them. There are those who settle into its deep waters, but there are also those who create boats.

People living with Parkinson’s are often at increased risk of falling. To alleviate the worry of falls, and to assist people back to their feet is our quest; a compact, simple lifting aid that will help carers or relatives lift a patient quickly and safely back into a supported sitting position. 

Raizer is a mobile lifting chair that helps a fallen person up to an almost standing position within a few minutes. Raizer can, with ease, be assembled and operated by only one assistant and does not require any physical effort besides a supportive hand. A person who has fallen and cannot get up again is raised comfortably up to a sitting or almost standing position in a way that supports the entire body throughout the process. This way of lifting shows consideration for the importance of being helped up in a dignified and safe way.

The Process is simple:

• First locate the fallen person and prepare the assembly of the lifting device around them.
• Attach the interchangeable backseat and legs to their selected slots
• Attach the manual hand crank (or in any side of the lifting device and begin to turn the handle to raise the person. Use your other arm to support the neck and head. 
• OR click the remote control of the battery-operated mobile lifting chair while using Use your other arm to support the neck and head
• Turn the handle or manage the remote control until the person is in an upright position where they can stand on their own again or transfer to a walker, chair, or wheelchair.
• Detach and disassemble the emergency chair and pack it back into its carry bag to continue with your day.

The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease manifest themselves very differently from person to person. While some people with the disease seem to show no signs of having it, others may be very visibly affected. If the symptoms are visible, impaired mobility is often the biggest challenge, with sufferers having difficulty moving around easily. Those with Parkinson’s may also find it more difficult to concentrate as they lose mobility. Assistive devices create equal opportunities for all and there are a wide range of products designed to make living with Parkinson’s easier.

There are countless stories that we hear about individuals who found restored confidence, stability, and most importantly, happiness in their lives from assistive devices. 

Sophie Djurhuus from Denmark, age 13, is diagnosed with a muscular disease and sometimes she falls and cannot get back up herself. She explains that an assistive device finally gave her independence in her life, as she no longer requires help from her parents. “It’s great that I can be allowed to be home alone. Neither my parents nor I should care about that I lie on the floor and cannot get up myself. I have become more independent now and have more freedom. I do not ask others for help or call my mom and dad if I fall,” she says. An assistive device is liberating for Sofie as she can finally enjoy life the way she wants to.

Jim Kissling is a distributor who sells mobility aids in the United States. He is also diagnosed with Kennedy Disease Syndrome (Bulbar-Spinal Muscular Atrophy). It causes his muscles to weaken about 2% per year. During his course of the disease, Jim falls one to two times a week and in most cases, his wife must assist him to get him up again. One of Jim’s main concerns is that there will be a time that his wife will not be physically able to assist him. Jim was encouraged to find, through a search, a simple aid that could lift him from the floor after a fall. During his search, he was not too excited seeing what was on the market. The idea of a large mechanical sling in his house did not really excite Jim that much as “it is a device that is mostly seen in hospitals” he remarked. 

For more information on assistive devices, find Lift Up, Inc. and their product line in the Wellness Village where they have been members since April 2018.