At CVI Medical, we understand the importance of home medical equipment to both the individual using the equipment and the caregiver. We strive to carry the best products on the market to increase people’s independence as well as the most lightweight products for those assisting them. The caregivers in our lives play such an important role and it is vital to provide equipment that is easy to use and transport. When you visit our Dallas store, we make sure all parties understand how to properly use their medical equipment purchase or rental and understand full benefits of product features.

Let’s break down some of the ways medical equipment helps caregivers:

Manual Wheelchairs and Transport Chairs

Although designed for self-use, it is often a caregiver or another person who is the one transporting and pushing the wheelchair for another. This is why such features as being lightweight and foldable, and having excellent steerability is important.

Some of our top manual wheelchairs are designed for caregiver transport needs such as the Strongback 24 Manual Wheelchair weighing only 25.8lbs. For comparison, most standard wheelchairs weigh 38lbs. The chair can be self-propelled by the user and is light enough for a caregiver, and in some cases the user themselves, to lift the chair into their vehicle. It gets even better! If 25.8lbs is still too heavy, the wheels, legrests, and anti-tippers can be easily removed leaving the chair at only 13.8lbs! The Strongback wheelchair is popular not only for being lightweight, but it has built in lumbar support and a tilted seat to help align the spine, helping to prevent fatigue, and creating a comfortable seating position. Add on attendant brakes or switch to the Strongback Transport Chair with Attendant Brakes for extra ease while pushing and braking the chair.

Our top-selling transport chair is the Medline Lightweight Transport Chair, weighing only 15lbs! The chair has some of our favorite features, including legrest catchers on the frame of the chair to keep the transport chair together at all times. The chair folds easily in half, and then the back can be folded down to fit into the smallest of spaces.

Electric Wheelchairs

The purchase behind an electric wheelchair is 100% for the person using it to be able to do so independently; however, it is a caregiver who often ends up transporting the chair. This is why features such as portability, width, and height of the chair itself are so important.

The top-selling portable power wheelchair is Golden Technologies’ LiteRider Envy. The chair is compact and easily disassembles into 4 pieces – the heaviest of which is only 37lbs. The Envy can fit into most car trunks and comes in 6 different colors to personalize your style! Go further and choose which seat is more comfortable for you – the Standard 17”, Wide 20”, or Premium Seat with lumbar support and a slightly taller back.

The brand-new Jazzy Carbon is flying out of our shop. The entire chair folds into itself and weighs only 43.6lbs with the battery! This is a game changer for portable power wheelchairs and is incredibly comfortable with mesh padding.

Mobility Scooter

Like an electric wheelchair, a mobility scooter is designed for the user to have independence and to drive it themselves. Helping a person get on the scooter and transferring the scooter as necessary often becomes the responsibility of a caregiver. This is why such features as weight of the chair and the ability to get it in and out of a vehicle becomes important.

A very popular power scooter for caregivers is the Go Go Elite Traveller 3-Wheel that is easy to disassemble if needed with the heaviest part only being 29 lbs. Not only do caregivers love how easy it is to transport, the users love how compact the chair is to get in and out of elevators and turn corners with the tight turning radius. 

Home Hospital Bed and Mattress

Home hospital beds have become essential for specific caregivers who have people in their lives that are bedridden, have injuries or a tendency to fall out of the bed, have difficulty with circulation or rotation, or simply have trouble getting in and out of a bed and require assistance. If you need a home hospital bed, there is a higher probably a caregiver is also needed to some degree.

Having features such as adjustable height of the overall bed, and raising and lowering of the head and leg sections are essential to caregivers which is why the Medline Full Electric Hospital Beds are popular among caregivers.

Power Chair Recliner/Lift Chair

Caregivers love Power Chair Recliners / Lift Chairs for the ability to lift the user slowly and safely to an almost standing position. The lifting function prevents caregivers from straining their back assisting someone out of a chair and helps the user not waste energy struggling to stand. Lift chairs are great at reducing pain, relaxing during the day, or as a bed to sleep in all night. There are two main styles of lift chairs, the 3 position and infinite position. For individuals with dementia, caregivers often find the 3 position lift chairs easiest for the individual to use on their own with a simple up and down hand control. However, more and more, we see caregivers choosing infinite position lift chairs for their cared ones for the ability to create the most comfortable position for the user with features such as independent control of the legs and back, powered headrest and lumbar support, and twilight positioning. Many infinite position lift chairs have memory features to program someone’s favorite position, taking out the guess work.

By far the most popular lift chairs are the Twilight Series by Golden Technology. The MaxiComfort Cloud Lift Chair with Twilight and EZ Sleeper Liftchair with Twilight have every feature you could possibly wish for and can now include heat and a subtle vibrate feature for extra relaxation!

Patient Lift

A patient lift is specifically designed for functionality and a caregiver to operate, with the ability to transfer patients between a bed and a chair, a wheelchair, powered mobility device, or bath equipment. For this reason, the Electric Patient Lift is an essential item for many caregivers. There are hydraulic patient lifts, however, the electric patient lift creates a fluid raise and descend for the individual in the sling, and is operated by an electric hand control, removing the need to pump as with a hydraulic lift.

In support of all the caregivers out there, we know firsthand how important a role you serve. We here at CVI are available to assist you in any way possible with medical equipment and helping to get the right products for your loved one and you.

There are other great resources for education out there for caregivers, as well. One is:

Soul and Science: Lessons for Caregivers, creative, on-line video lessons called “Take Five for Caregivers” – together with practical tools, the latest clinical research, and inspiring insights.

Give CVI Medical a call if you are in search of the best medical equipment for you or if you are a caregiver and need advice or guidance on medical equipment. We are here to help you!