HI i have had MS now for the last 20 years and Gill my wife sadly passed away with cancer just before Christmas. Gill looked after me and when we went to bed at night she would help me to lift my legs into bed. I am now very worried as I find it so difficult to get my legs on to the bed. I use a leg pull to try and get them in to bed. ( A long handle with a loop on the bottom to but your foot in) I have a MS team and I am waiting to see if the OT will fund me for a Electric Leg Lifter but I don’t hold much hope. As I know nothing about Electric leg lifters I was thinking some one might give me some advice about them?
Peter
Hi Peter, Sorry I can’t help re: the leg lifter but just wanted to extend my condolences to you over the loss of your wife. I hope you have plenty of family support to aid you at this difficult time. Take care, Teresa xx
Hi Peter, firstly Id like to say how sorry I am to hear youve lost your wife…sad.
I havent heard of electric leg lifters. Ill google it to see what they`re about.
I used to have my hubby lift my legs for me. But they regularly spasmed and stiffened as he did this.
It got so bad that I now use a hoist for getting in/out of bed. On a good day, I can get myself into the sling and hooked up to the hoist, then I hold on to my commode handles to get into the bed at the right spot. If it goes wrong, then I need hubby to help.
If a hoist isnt of interest to you, and the electric leg lifter doesn`t work out, what about getting a carer to do what you need, as well as lifting your legs, eh?
Just a thought…now to google…
luv Pollx
Hi, me again.
Just googled the subject. It looks a great bit of kit!
Saw a video for 2 types. The 1st was a moulded platform to put your legs against and then it lifts. But I thought it could be tricky to get your legs off.
The 2nd one had a flat platform for your leegs. After it had lifted the legs and put them on to the bed, the mechanism drew the platform away. This one looked easier to use.
They cost around £445. Hope your OT can sort it for you.
Oh, you need a good sitting strength, by the way.
luv Pollx
l am just wondering if a electric bed would be the answer - like hospital beds that you can move up and down - and position into a sitting position if needed.
lt is so important to keep your independance. My bed is very high - l am like the’- princess and the pea’. Sleigh bed with a very deep mattreses. Your post has made me wonder if l might find it more difficult in the future. Would it help to step up onto a little ‘sturdy’ stool then get onto your bed. lf a beds too low it becomes difficult to get up from - so you can’t win.
l will have a look at what Poll has discovered. She understands all of your problems as she has ‘battled’ to get the right equipment for herself.
F.
Peter,
l have just looked at the Laybrook electric leg lifter on YouTube - and l did wonder if you could lift one leg at a time using the handle of your walking stick.
F
Hi Frances, I dont think a riser bed would solve the problem of getting the legs on to the bed.
I have one of those beds and it doesn`t do what the leg lifter does…unless someone designed one recently.
It`s good of you to try to help, as always.
luv Pollx