Cost-effective fall assistance device launches for use in domestic settings
Yorkshire Care Equipment, a specialist seating, mobility aid and care equipment company, has launched the Raizer M fall assistance device, which has been specially designed for domestic use and presents a cost-effective solution for families and carers.
All Raizer fall assistance devices have a lifting chair design. The chair is built around the fallen person. Then, a single carer can operate the Raizer to lift them back up to their feet, with the process taking under 5 minutes.
Yorkshire Care has supplied the Raizer fall assistance device range to UK care homes, hospitals, emergency services, and some private residents since 2016. Raizer M is the third addition to the range.
According to Age UK, falls are the largest cause of emergency hospital admissions in older people and one in three people aged 65+ fall at least once a year. Continuing to improve fall assistance devices is key for protecting older people and reducing the cost of falls on the healthcare service, Yorkshire Care stresses.
Both the original Raizer and Raizer II are electronic – they run on rechargeable batteries and are operated using a remote control.
In contrast, Raizer M is the first manual lifting chair. The device is operated using a hand crank and does not require any electrical power, presenting a more stripped back and affordable option for use in home environments.
George Hulbert, Sales Director at Yorkshire Care Equipment, explains why the Raizer M design suits domestic use: “The Raizer fall assistance range has proven incredibly popular. We’ve supplied them to care homes who’ve reported 96% reduction in wait times for fall assistance and to emergency services teams who’ve saved thousands by sending a Raizer-equipped response car to assist with falls rather than an ambulance.
“However, the electronic Raizer II is designed for multi-user environments where falls can occur multiple times each week. It uses the latest technology to power various sensors and allow the battery to last for up to 100 lifts on a single charge. Of course, this technology also impacts the price. We were getting requests for a stripped back, more affordable option for domestic use.”
He added that elderly people didn’t want to call an ambulance and go in hospital if they fell but were uninjured and that families wanted peace of mind for their loved ones.
“That’s exactly what Raizer M offers,” George continued. “It has the same chair design, without the electronic components. There’s still no physical lifting required and, as an added bonus, it never needs charging. Even if Raizer M goes unused for months, it’s ready immediately when you need it.”
In April 2020, Padraig Finn, Physiotherapist and Seating Specialist at Yorkshire Care Equipment, wrote an article for AT Today about the science of seating and innovations in paediatric care.
His article explores how approaching seating assessments from a physiotherapy perspective helps to build a full picture of the user’s needs and how recent innovation in the healthcare sector has made specialist seating options better suited to paediatric care.
Read the full article here