Mounting the hoist to the ceiling is usually the preferred method of installation when considering the manual handling of a patient or disabled person. A ceiling mounted hoist has several advantages over alternative lifting methods.

A ceiling hoist takes up no floor space
The user can operate independently
Permanently fixed hoist and portable hoists available on ceiling mounted tracks
Does not require 2 carers to operate, as is currently recommended when using mobile floor hoists
The ceiling hoist track can travel from room to room
The portable hoist option is easily detached for use on tracking installed in other rooms

Installing Ceiling Mounted Hoists

Most structures are able to accommodate a ceiling mounted hoist. A variety of solutions are available to assist installation. The following applications are commonplace.

Concrete ceilings
Steel webbed joists
Cathedral/sloping ceilings
Steel and timber I beams
Timber joists
Suspended ceilings
Pitched roofs

Ceiling Hoist Track Configurations

There are several track layouts to choose from which are determined by the lifting requirements in the room.

Straight Tracking
Straight track with 45 or 90 degree bends
Room to room track systems
XY or H frame tracking system
Turntables
Y Junction Exchangers
Wall Mounting
Semi-permanent tracking

Straight tracking is the easiest to install and most cost effective means of hoisting, enabling basic lifting of the user from position to position in a straight line. Adding curved sections to the track permits greater room coverage and increased lifting and repositioning flexibility. For full room coverage the XY system is required. This involves two straight sections of track being fixed adjacent to each other on each side of the room with another track joining the two. The XY hoist track system allows full room coverage and is an increasingly popular choice.

Fixed ceiling hoist features can include:

User programmable features
Emergency stop and lowering
Battery and charging system
Return to charge feature
Wireless remote control available
Power sharing function for turntables, gates and exchangers

How much does a ceiling hoist cost?

The cost of a ceiling mounted hoist is determined by a number of factors.

The length of the tracking
The number and complexity of bends if required
The ceiling construction
The number and type of fixings required
The weight of the hoist user/s

A straight track hoist 3 metres in length and fixed to timber joists, or to a concrete ceiling, would normally cost less than £2000. For a 3 metre x 3 metre XY system the price would normally be between £2500 and £3000.

Christian Dunnage is a director of Dolphin Mobility Ltd, a UK based independent supplier of stair lifts, hoists and mobility products.
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