• Dealer Portal

Contact Us

Safe patient handling equipment is essential to helping healthcare organizations meet their goals, both in preventing staff and patient injuries and in offering excellence in patient care. But the important task of choosing high-quality equipment does not end with purchase and installation. A strong preventative maintenance (PM) program is critical to providing assurance that your healthcare organization can meet its safe patient handling goals. Additionally, it helps ensure adherence to all regional, national or international compliance and regulatory requirements for your equipment.

Savaria’s PM program, Handicare Plus, helps to ensure that your safe patient handling equipment is maintained in reliable working order, supporting caregiver and patient safety and assisting your organization with meeting regulatory requirements and reducing liability and costs.

How Preventative Maintenance Programs Build Reliability

When it comes to safety, reliability is critical. Safe and reliable equipment is a major asset to healthcare organizations. If your safe patient handling equipment fails, the downstream effects can be time-consuming and costly.

Preventative maintenance programs allow you to be proactive, not reactive. Like anything mechanical, without routine maintenance and inspections of your patient handling equipment, your organization may miss opportunities to correct potential problems before they become mission critical.

Some consequences of overlooking routine PM maintenance programs:

• Decreased bed capacity due to equipment that is out of commission
• Costly repairs and replacements
• Strain on your existing facilities infrastructure and resources, which may have many other priorities to juggle
• Exposure to liability due to injury when equipment fails or isn’t available to prevent a patient fall or caregiver injury
• Reputation management impacts — safe patient handling programs have proven positive patient outcomes, and reliable safe patient handling programs aren’t possible with unreliable equipment
• Workforce impacts—we know that safe patient handling equipment reduces caregiver injuries; for example 95% of lifting injuries are prevented by lifts, and broken equipment can equal worker’s compensation claims, time off of work, poor job retention due to injuries and risks and poor reputation that impacts recruiting efforts

Key Compliance Benefits of Preventative Maintenance Programs

Along with providing assurance that you can avoid the above challenges, a robust PM program has some core compliance benefits that ultimately help healthcare organization meet compliance and regulatory benchmarks and be prepared for audits.

Depending on your healthcare organization’s local regulatory bodies, your safe patient handling equipment is subject to required maintenance at regular intervals and may also have reporting requirements, especially if an injury occurs due to faulty equipment. This is true for the Occupation and Safety Health Administration (OSHA), OH&S and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS).

Adhering to these standards also helps you maintain facility accreditation and in some cases, meet benchmarks critical to reimbursement, such as Star Ratings for long-term care facilities in the United States. This can include key indicators such as patient safety ratings due to complications like falls with injury and pressure injuries — which could increase due to lack of functional equipment.

Why Choose Savaria for Your Preventative Maintenance Program?

A good preventative maintenance program should go beyond routine inspections and servicing of equipment. Although these are key to an effective PM program, there are other elements you should also prioritize when choosing a PM program.

Handicare Plus offers premium support that goes beyond simple equipment maintenance. Savaria’s product categories span all safe handling needs, with research and clinically based equipment ranging from beds to ceiling and floor lifts, transfer aids, slings, and more.

Our factory-trained technicians are the experts on these products with hours of training in the field, ensuring your equipment is maintained according to manufacturer specifications and that your warranty is not voided by unauthorized repairs.

Our preventative maintenance programs:

• Meet and exceed ISO 10535 and CSA Z10535.2-17 annual compliance standards
• Maintain inspection records on your behalf for every preventative and corrective maintenance job, helping ensure audit compliance and reduced liability
• Offer assurance that regular inspections won’t be inadvertently missed, with pre-scheduled maintenance
• Provide help quickly when you need it most, with a response to inquiries within four hours during standard business hours, and a technician on site typically within 48 hours if needed
• Offer annual equipment inspections, bed entrapment audits, ceiling lift system load testing, floor lift load testing, and therapeutic surface audits
• Help you extend your product life and avoid costly replacements

Tiered PM program plans are available to meet your organization’s budgetary requirements and equipment demands.

If you’re ready to learn more about Savaria’s Handicare Plus preventative maintenance program for your safe patient handling equipment, call 1- 877-3040-5438, and we’ll show you how we can help you stop worrying about equipment maintenance.

Advancements in technology have given kids with special needs and mobility issues more freedom than ever before! Depending on the mobility equipment, babies as young as eight months old can learn to explore their surroundings more independently, and older children with cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and other medical conditions are able to gain more of the autonomy every child desires.

As with any big change in life, adapting to new mobility equipment comes with a steep learning curve. But by giving your child the adjustment period they need and being by their side as they overcome their struggles, they’ll gain the confidence they need for this new adventure!

Here’s how a little planning and patience can go a long way in helping your child.

• Prep them on what to expect. Any change—even a happy one—can be difficult for a child who is shaken by any shift in the status quo, especially if they have anxiety, autism or developmental delays. Explain to your child how the process will work—show them videos of the equipment before going in for their evaluation and fitting. Share how the equipment will let them play more freely with other kids. And explain how they’ll be able to do more things on their own without always depending on you.
• Make them part of the process – As you work with your child’s occupational or physical therapist and mobility equipment vendor, be sure to include your child in the decision process if they’re able to participate. Encourage them to ask questions, speak up if they’re uncomfortable, and bring up any concerns they have. Also, try to schedule evaluations and demonstrations when your child is more apt to be relaxed—if you do them late in the day, they may be tired and more likely to get frustrated.
• Give them plenty of time to practice – According to experts, don’t expect your child to master their new equipment immediately or listen to your instructions right off the bat, said one physical therapist to Mobility Management magazine, “Children learn best through play and exploring for themselves. Too many verbal directions can be confusing, distracting and create fear… At first, children need a large, open, safe space where they can learn to control direction and just ‘explore.’” As with any obstacle they’ve worked to overcome, you should provide appropriate help, but encourage them to find a solution on their own first.
• Get your home ready for their new independence. When a child receives new mobility equipment, adjustments may need to be made to the home to protect their safety as they get used to their freedom. Make sure floors are free of slippery rugs, worn carpet and electrical cords. Put a gate at the top of the stairs to prevent them from falling. And add handgrips to areas around the house, such as the bathroom and bedroom. Handicare can connect you with a mobility expert that can provide additional recommendations when installing equipment in your home.
• Help them maneuver around their school. If your child is older, encourage them to take a trial run around school using their new equipment to identify any issues that might affect their growing independence, such as narrow doorways, steep ramps, crowded corridors, and inadequate restroom facilities. It’s also important to discuss how the school charges and stores power wheelchairs if that’s the equipment your child uses. Together with school personnel, you can address any concerns and identify modifications that can be made to ensure the safety and autonomy of your child.

While this time in your child’s life is an exciting one, it’s important to remember it can be an overwhelming one as well, and they’ll need a hand to hold throughout the process. Together with their care team and your equipment vendor, you can help empower your child and ensure they’re ready to take on the world with their newfound freedom!

Children with special needs see their bedrooms in different ways. For kids with autism, sensory processing disorder or developmental disabilities, their bedroom is their escape from an overwhelming world—the one place where they can relax and recharge when their day gets too stressful. For children who are ill or homebound, on the other hand, it can feel like a box they’re confined to day in and day out.

That’s why it’s so important to customize your child’s bedroom to their personality and special needs. Together, you and your little one can dream up a comfortable, welcoming sanctuary that gives them a safe space to play, learn and imagine, and most importantly, forget about the struggles they face on a daily basis.

Here are some recommendations to keep in mind as you and child play interior designer:

• Give them the freedom to move – If your child uses a wheelchair or walker, replacing carpet with hardwood and creating a full circle of space in the middle of the room allows them to maneuver without obstruction. Check the doorway clearance as well—the area must be at least 32 inches wide for a wheelchair to move through.
• Control colors and light – Intense wall colors like hot pink and bright turquoise, fluorescent lights, and busy wall art and posters can overstimulate children, especially those with autism and anxiety. Instead, choose softer hues of blue and green and go for natural or incandescent light.
• Keep germs and dust mites in check – To help children with breathing issues or compromised immune systems, go for fixtures, décor, and furniture that can be easily cleaned on a daily basis—for instance, choose vinyl blinds instead of curtains and hardwood instead of carpet. Keep dust-collecting clutter to a minimum and use allergen-impermeable covers for bedding.
• Get organized – You and your child can develop an organization system that makes finding toys easier and eliminates the disorder than can compromise their mobility. Make sure all shelves are in easy reach and that drawers, toy boxes and closet doors can be easily opened.
• Design a quiet corner – Children who get overstimulated easily can benefit from a sensory area that reduces the risk of meltdowns. Start with a beanbag, sensory pod swing or puffy pillows and add in imaginative or building toys, books, squishies, and calm-down items like glitter jars, essential oil-infused rice bags, and kinetic sand.
• Create a sensory input station – On the flip side, some children with special needs are sensory seekers. If this is the case and if space allows, designate one area of the room for movement-based input. Integrate items like a mini trampoline with handle, rocking toys, bouncing seat (such as a Rody horse), or therapy ball into the mix.
• Take a look at the bed – Kids roll out of bed all the time, but if a child with a disability falls from their bed to the ground, their injuries can be severe. To protect your child’s safety, consider different options based on their needs, such as grab bars, bed rails or an adjustable bed. If your child’s disability significantly impacts their mobility, a ceiling lift may be the best way to transport them from their bed to their wheelchair.

For additional recommendations on creating the ultimate at-home getaway for your child, talk with their physical or occupational therapist. They can recommend room layouts, products, and furniture that will give your child the freedom and independence they crave and give you peace of mind knowing that they’re playing safely in a bedroom they love.

Purchasing a ceiling lift or floor lift can be a daunting task especially if this is your families first purchase. Like buying a new car the features are endless and understanding all the options available is key to making an informed decision.

Lift products fall into two main categories: ceiling lifts and floor lifts. Both are designed to assist your loved ones with their everyday accessibility needs, but your decision to pick one over the other will be very situational.

Ceiling Lifts A ceiling lift is a device that transports a loved one along an overhead track system, the lift works alongside a sling that holds the loved one securely during the transfer. There are two main types of ceiling lifts: fixed and portable. A fixed ceiling lift is a permanent fixture in the room and uses a track system mounted on the ceiling, the ceiling lift runs along the track during transfers. A fixed ceiling lift with an X-Y track system provides greater versatility with movement in two different directions. Ready to be used with no set up required, a fixed ceiling lift like our C-300 can provide loved ones with greater autonomy and takes up no space on your floor. A portable ceiling lift like our P-440 uses a free-standing track system that needs to be set up and can be taken down with each use. It is easily portable and can be moved from room to room, used in different homes and is great for traveling while on vacation. Another advantage is that it can be completely dismantled with no permanent installation necessary. Both ceiling lift types provide safe transfer of your loved one with very minimal force from a bed to a chair or commode, they can also be used to reposition in bed and are considered the most versatile solution for safe patient handling. Your decision to pick a fixed ceiling lift over a portable one will depend on what your needs are. Are you looking for a solution that you can take anywhere? Do you travel, vacation or spend a lot of time at your cottage? Are you planning to move anytime soon? Do you want to avoid a permanent installation in your home? Then a portable ceiling lift with a free-standing track system like our FST-300 sounds like the right choice for you. Do you want to avoid constantly having to set up a track system to get your lift up and running? Is floor space top priority and would prefer a solution that is out of the way? Do you want total versatility that comes with an X-Y fixed track system? Is your loved one looking for an autonomous solution? A fixed ceiling lift with a track system sounds perfect for your home.

Floor Lifts Floor Lifts offer the same transfer options as a ceiling lift but in a fully portable platform. The device consists of a frame built on castor wheels, a mast with a steering handle and a boom that safely raises and lowers the patient. Like a ceiling lift, a sling is used to hold the patient securely in place during the transfer. Floor lifts can easily move room to room and are perfect for dining areas and hallways, they can also be moved out of the way when not in use. If you’re working within a budget a floor lift is a more cost-effective than a ceiling lift, our Carina350 floor lift is a perfect economical option. Floor lifts require more exertion and two people to operate, but if that’s not a concern for you then adding one to your home is a great choice for your loved one.

The Choice is Yours

At the end of the day, you should feel confident knowing that the lift you choose will be making everyday life easier for not only your loved one but also the people that help them live a more accessible life.  The decision is up to you and should be based on what the needs are for your family, home and loved one, whatever choice you make you’ll be improving their quality of life greatly.

Ready to speak to one of our mobility experts? Call us today 1- 888-637-8155 or request a callback.