Happy with New Aid

As one of the first users in the world

 

...Liv Aasen from Norway was honored to try a completely new patient lift.

It is impossible to see that there is a patient lift at the side of Liv’s bed. While the patient lifts used today are clearly visible, this is hidden in a closet. Liv is affected by MS and depends on a lift for transfer in and out of bed. For three months she has tested the new lifting system, and both she and the nurses are very satisfied with the aid.

- I am happy, and I think it looks pretty around my bed. Liv says smiling, as she and her assistants demonstrate how the lift works. This winter, Manager and Inventor Skjalg Aabakken contacted the leader for home-based care in Nord-Fron municipality, Åste Ringen Sandbu, and offered them to test the new patient lift.

- When we got the opportunity to try the lift as one of the first municipalities, we used our chance. The nice thing is that the lift is in a closet. It provides a completely different dignity to have the lift hidden, than to have it visible in the room all the time, says Ringen Sandbu. After the trial period the staff in Nord-Fron municipality has only positive feedback to deliver.

- This lift is always connected to power, and it is an advantage for us at work that we do not have to charge the lift. In addition, it is space-saving, says Ringen Sandbu.

Together with his best friend. As of today the Social services does not cover the costs of purchasing this type of lift.

- This is certainly something we will evaluate also for the new nursing home that we plan at Sundheim, Ringen Sandbu states. The producer of the lift, Integra Care Products, is working hard to promote Integralift world wide and already have more than 10 dealers around the world.

- It is important to have users like Liv to test the lift, and not least great that we get such positive feedback from her and those who have worked with it, says Aabakken.

It is a personal story behind his invention. In 2006 the Friends Aabakken and Svein Idsø were looking for a patient lift that was functional and that could fit into Svein’s modern apartment. - We found nothing, Aabakken says. Thus the friends started the process of developing the product Integralift. The idea was to create a lift that should be there when it was used and hidden away when it should not be used.

- We used Svein its user perspective and my experience as an engineer and designer to create Integralift, says Aabakken.

Better quality of life
After the test period Liv will keep the patient lift.- Am I one the first in the world with such a lift? That makes me happy, and those who helps me also, she says smiling.

- It's nice for us to give something back to Integra that has allowed Liv try Integralift. We can give something
back by sharing our positive experiences of a functional and exciting tool, says Ringen Sandbu.
Several municipalities shows interest in the patient lift, and Integra work actively to get the lift approved via the Social security.

- We expect that many more will experience Integralift, and hopefully the good feedback is noticed. We believe the product provides a good balance between the need for a transfer-tool in the home and at the same time preserves a nice home. It provides better quality of life, the inventor of Integralift Skjalg Aabakken believes.

Picture text: Both Liv and her assistants are happy with the device.
From left: Anesthesiologist Camilla Heide, Liv Aasen, inventor Skjalg Aabakken, an occupational therapist in Nord-Fron Torunn Wingsand and assistant Monica S. Lunde.

(Translation from News Article in the Norwegian Newspaper Dolen)