How to Use a Bath Lift Safely

By Maurice

Bath lifts are a perfect choice for the elderly or people with limited mobility, especially if they use traditional bathtubs rather than the modern walk-in tubs. These lifts have a raising and lowering mechanism that helps you get into and out of the bathtub easily without engaging your body too much.

This article is your perfect guide on how to use a bath lift, including usage and maintenance tips. It will not only take you through the operation process but will also provide supplementary YouTube videos to help you accordingly.

How to Use a Bath Lift: Tips for New Owners

It’s essential to check the functioning of your bath lift after the assembly process. Follow the following guide tips when checking:

Press the up button on the controller and observe whether the seat is moving upwards unhindered. You also have to check whether both side flaps are coming into contact with the seat’s edges during the raising process.
Press the down button to lower the seat to its lowest level and check whether its movement is unhindered. Additionally, confirm whether the wall and the hand control leave a 25 mm gap.
Do not move the bathtub lifter after installing it in the tub.

Bathtub Lifter Operation

The hand control is the sole bath lift’s operator. Below is an illustration of the hand control and its components, including the control buttons.

You can only press the hand control buttons after correctly fixing the backrest on the seat unit. Depending on the model, the red LED light illuminates when you attempt to operate the lift without enough battery charge. If that happens, charge the hand control’s battery before use. However, if the red light doesn’t blink, you can go ahead and lift yourself out of the bathtub, but ensure you charge it immediately.

Lowering the Seat

1Assume a sitting position on the seat, and ensure it’s not close to the wall.
2Lower the lift by pressing and holding the down button. It’s usually blue, although it might differ depending on the model.
3The lift descends until it reaches the bottom position, where the backrest automatically reclines backward. However, you can maintain the backrest at the desired angle by releasing the button once you achieve a certain angle.
4The drive switches off automatically once it gets to the bottom position. You can now safely take your bath.

After Bathing

1Ensure the seat is in its lowest position.
2Now, hit the UP key on the hand control. This command raises the backrest to its upright position first and then lifts the bath lift to its end position. It switches off automatically after achieving this position. You can raise the lift to any height by pressing and holding the button until the desired level.
3After achieving the desired height, release the up button, and the lift will stop.
4Ensure you fold out the side flaps to rest against the bathtub’s sides. You should also raise the seat to a height equal to the top margins of the tub while maintaining the side flaps at a horizontal position.
5Now you can exit by sliding on the side flaps.

EMERGENCY STOP Function

You can only use this button in the event of an emergency. For instance, if the lift fails to stop after releasing the up or down buttons, you can hit the EMERGENCY STOP button, automatically stopping the movement. Alternatively, you can disconnect the plug connection.

Pressing the EMERGENCY STOP button when lowering the seat disables the down button for about 15 seconds to ensure the user’s safety. This means that you can only use the up button for upward movement in such a situation. The vice versa also occurs when you press the EMERGENCY STOP button when moving upward.

Bath Lift Use Precautions

While a bath lift makes life a whole lot easier for the elderly and individuals with disabilities, it should be used in the right and safest ways. Here are some safety precautions you need to have in mind when handling this device:

1Ensures the seat moves unhindered when raising and lowering it. In addition, ensure the flaps are firmly attached to the tub’s edges. If not, you will be at risk of sliding and falling off the seat.
2Using too much bath salt or bath oil might cause the lifting scissors to move erratically. As such, adhere to the manufacturer’s guidelines on the amount of salt and bath oils you should use.
3Retract the drive base and swivel the backrest forward, preventing damage to the bath lift. See the figure below.

Best Bath Lift Usage Videos on YouTube

The above tips will help you understand how to use the bath lift. You can combine them with the following YouTube videos to understand your bath lift even better:

Powered Bath Lift

Bellavita Bath Lift

Let’s have a look at this Neptune Bath Lift – Lightweight, Strong & Reliable

Bath Lift Maintenance: How to Keep Your Bath Lift in Good Shape

To reap the full benefits of your bath lift, you need to maintain it in the healthiest operational condition possible. Here are some critical maintenance tips you can adopt:

Professional Inspections

A bath lift can only benefit you if it’s in good condition. As such, it’s important to perform maintenance checks at least once every 12 months. This examination consists of a visual inspection of all elements while paying special attention to load-bearing components.

Additionally, the checks must also address the necessary function tests. Render the lift inoperable in case of functional faults or other issues that might jeopardize its safety.

Hire a professional technician if you do not have the necessary skills to undertake the inspection process. Such professionals have the necessary abilities and practical experience to carry out such safety-related work, and they will help detect and correct potential safety hazards.

Cleaning

It is necessary to clean the bath lift immediately after use to maintain it in excellent working condition. Preferably, wash it with hot water and use approved disinfectants or bath coverings. However, before you start cleaning, ensure you have detached the covers.

Seat Covers Maintenance

Usually, bath lift covers are removable and feature a smooth material with antibacterial properties. To properly clean these covers, detach them from the bath lift. You can then wash them by hand or in a washing machine while maintaining a temperature of not more than 60 degrees. You can also use a non-bio detergent. Avoid bath oils and similar additives since they often discolor the coverings.

Battery Charger Maintenance

The hand control’s battery charger doesn’t need any maintenance. You only need to clean the housing unit with mild detergents that have no solvents. You can also opt for a moist cloth, and after cleaning, you have to dry it thoroughly before use.

Conclusion

Using your bath lift correctly protects it from unwarranted damages, ensuring you get a long service life. On the other hand, proper maintenance ensures you do not have to spend on avoidable repairs and keeps your bath lift in the best operational condition. You can adapt the above-provided operation and maintenance tips to optimize your bath lift performance and maintain it accordingly.