Tips and Tricks – The IndeeLift

by Dani Liptak

I get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. I take a step from my bed, reach for my walker, and instantly hit the floor with such force I knock the wind out of myself. My cat goes scurrying by, and I wishfully hope she is going to get me some help. She never does. If my cellphone is near, I will call my parents. If it is not, I ask my Amazon Alexa to call my parents.

In the past, I used to have to call EMS and Fire to help me get off the floor. It was not an emergency so they wouldn’t rush. Sometimes I would be left there on the floor for 30 minutes. When they arrived, I would try to explain that I need to be lifted in a specific manner so that my arms don’t slip out of place, and my legs need to be supported because I can’t bear my weight after a fall. I would have a lot of anxiety about calling the EMS/ Fire. I felt embarrassed and like a burden.

After many falls and many calls, my father discovered the IndeeLift online. It seemed too good to be true. It quickly arrived, and I tested it out right away. I was able to be lifted from the floor with no assistance to a height that would allow me to stand and hold on to my walker.  I was so happy to feel I had regained this little bit of independence. It came in very handy when my parents left for a vacation for a few weeks in the summer. I was left home with our family dog. I fell a few times while they were gone, but I was able to independently slide my body over to the IndeeLift and lift myself up on my own.

Here are some features of the IndeeLift. It can lift a person weighing up to 300 or 400 pounds to a height of 21 inches above the floor, allowing for secure transfer to a wheelchair. There is a wired remote for convenient operation for self or assisted operation.

The IndeeLift is one of my most cherished mobility items. It has reduced my stress and given me a better sense of independence. Yes, I still fall, and it still hurts, but no longer do I have to wait on the floor in pain, waiting for someone to come pick me up and possibly hurt me more in the process. It indeed has been a lifesaver.