A patient lift uses a sling and a mechanical arm to raise and move someone who can’t transfer on their own. The basic process involves positioning a sling under the person, attaching it to the lift’s spreader bar, raising them just high enough to clear the surface, wheeling them to the destination, and lowering them down. The details of each step matter for safety, and the type of lift and sling you use will depend on the person’s size, strength, and mobility.
Types of Patient Lifts
Floor-based patient lifts come in two varieties: manual hydraulic and electric. A manual lift uses a hand-pumped lever to raise and lower the boom arm. It requires meaningful upper-body strength from the caregiver, not to lift the person’s full weight, but to pump the lever repeatedly and steer the loaded frame across the floor. An electric lift runs on a rechargeable battery and operates with a handheld control button, making the raising and lowering almost effortless. The frame itself is still heavy to push from room to room, but if you have joint pain, arthritis, or shoulder problems, an electric model is the safer choice for you.
Choosing the Right Sling
The sling is the fabric seat that wraps around the person being lifted. Using the wrong type or size is one of the most common mistakes caregivers make, and it can cause skin injuries, falls, or an uncomfortable ride.
Sling Types
- Full-body sling: Supports the entire body from shoulders to thighs. This is the standard choice for people with limited mobility or reduced muscle tone who cannot hold themselves upright.
- U-shaped sling: Similar to a full-body sling but without center padding between the legs. It’s easier to position and works well for people who have decent trunk and neck control.
- Commode/toileting sling: Has a large opening at the bottom for bathroom access. Used specifically for hygiene-related transfers.
- Sit-to-stand sling: Wraps around the torso only and is used with a sit-to-stand lift (a different device). The person must be able to bear weight on at least one leg and have some upper-body strength.
Sling Sizing
Sling sizes are based on both weight and height. Drive Medical’s reference guide gives a good sense of typical ranges: small fits roughly 75 to 150 pounds and 4’11” to 5’4″, medium fits 125 to 200 pounds and 5’3″ to 5’8″, large fits 175 to 300 pounds and 5’7″ to 6’0″, and extra-large fits 275 to 500 pounds and 5’11” to 6’4″. Notice the overlap between sizes. A 180-pound person who is 5’4″ might need a medium rather than a large. When in doubt, the sling should feel snug enough to support the person without gaps but not so tight that it digs into the skin or bunches fabric under the arms.
Placing the Sling
Getting the sling positioned correctly under the person is the most physically involved part of the process, and the step where good body mechanics matter most. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart, bend at the knees rather than the waist, and stay close to the person you’re helping.
If the person is lying in bed, raise the bed to its highest position so you aren’t bending over. Roll them gently onto their side by placing one hand on the far shoulder and one on the far hip, then rolling them toward you. Tuck the folded sling behind their back with the top edge at shoulder level. Roll them back onto the sling and pull it smooth. Then bring the leg straps forward, threading each one under the corresponding thigh. Cross the leg straps so the left strap hooks to the right side of the spreader bar and the right strap hooks to the left. This crossing keeps the person’s legs together and provides a more secure, comfortable seat.
Attaching the Sling to the Lift
Spread the base legs of the lift to their widest locked position before you roll it into place. This maximizes stability and prevents tipping. Roll the base under the bed as far as it will go so the boom arm and spreader bar (the metal crossbar at the top) are centered directly over the person.
Lower the spreader bar close enough to reach the sling’s attachment loops. Most slings connect with S-hooks and chains or with clip-style fasteners. If your lift uses chains, insert the S-hooks through the sling loops with the open side of the hook facing away from the person’s body, not toward their skin. Attach the chain ends to the spreader bar hooks. You can adjust which chain link you use to change the person’s seated angle, but count the links on each side to make sure they’re even. Uneven chains will tilt the person to one side.
Before you start raising, run a quick check: both sides attached, hooks fully seated in their links, leg straps crossed and clipped, no fabric bunched or twisted under the arms or between the legs.
The Transfer: Bed to Wheelchair
Raise the person slowly, just until their hips clear the mattress. The spreader bar’s swivel mechanism will naturally bring them into a seated position as they rise. Pause here and check that they look comfortable and balanced. Gently guide their legs so they swing off the side of the bed. Do not push or pull their body off the mattress; let the lift do the work.
Lower the bed height if you need more clearance between the person’s feet and the floor. Grasp the steering handles and roll the lift away from the bed, keeping one hand on the person if they seem unsteady. Move them over the wheelchair, which should already be in position with the brakes locked and the footrests swung out of the way. Lower slowly until they’re fully seated, then disconnect the sling attachments from the spreader bar. You can leave the sling fabric under the person if you’ll be transferring them again soon, or remove it for comfort.
Picking Someone Up From the Floor
If someone has fallen, a patient lift can get them off the floor safely without you straining your back. The process is the same as a bed transfer, just lower to the ground. Spread the lift’s base legs wide and roll them around the person. Position the sling by rolling them side to side, just as you would in bed. Lower the spreader bar all the way down, attach the sling, and raise slowly. Some electric lifts have a low-profile base designed specifically to slide under furniture or close to the ground; manual hydraulic lifts can usually reach the floor as well, though it takes more pumping.
Pre-Use Safety Check
Every time you use a patient lift, take 60 seconds to inspect it before anyone gets in the sling. Look at the sling fabric for fraying, tears, or worn stitching, especially around the attachment loops and leg straps where the load concentrates. Check that the spreader bar hooks aren’t bent or cracked. On an electric lift, confirm the battery has enough charge to complete a full raise-and-lower cycle. A lift that dies mid-transfer with someone suspended is a serious problem.
Test the emergency lowering mechanism while the lift is unloaded. On most electric models, there are two backup systems. The first is an electrical emergency button, usually a small recessed hole on the control box that you press with a pen tip to lower the boom without the handheld controller. The second is a manual mechanical release, typically a plastic collar at the top of the actuator shaft that you turn clockwise to lower the arm during a complete power failure. Know where both of these are before you need them. If the lift has an emergency stop button (a red pushbutton on the control box), test that it locks when pressed and resets when twisted in the direction of the arrows.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Not widening the base is the most frequent error. A narrow base makes the lift top-heavy when loaded, and it can tip. Always spread and lock the legs before attaching the sling.
Raising the person too high is another common problem. You only need enough clearance to move them from one surface to another. The higher someone is off the ground, the less stable the lift becomes and the more frightening the experience is for the person in the sling. Aim for just a few inches above the destination surface.
Rushing through attachment is dangerous. Hooks that aren’t fully seated in chain links can slip free under load. Uneven chain lengths tilt the person sideways. A sling positioned too low on the back lets the person slide out. Each of these mistakes is preventable with a 10-second visual check before you start raising.
Finally, never leave someone unattended while they’re suspended in a lift. The entire transfer, from first raise to final lowering, should be continuous. If you need to step away, lower the person onto a stable surface first.