In 2018, the VHA’s Safe Patient Handling and Mobility (SPH&M) office evaluated IndeeLift’s patented Human Floor Lifts (HFL’s) as the one of the tools for assisting veterans with mobility issues and/or a falling problem in the home. Since 2018 and in cooperation with the VA’s SPH&M and PT/OT folks along with other healthcare providers, IndeeLift has worked to enhance these assistive tools to expand their capabilities and functions and provide even greater safety for mobility challenged veterans and those who care for them.

Identifying a need

Today, IndeeLift is working through many Local and State level Veteran Service Organizations (VSO) (e.g., Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, American Legion, etc.) to identify disabled-mobility-challenged veterans who would benefit from having one of these assistive devices in their home.

The benefits

The benefits of IndeeLift assistive devices are many and include greater independence for the veteran, enhanced mobility safety, immediate recovery from falls, greater accessibility in and around the home and greatly enhanced safety for those who care for veterans by eliminating manual lifting of veterans/patients.

With more than 150 IndeeLift devices in the homes of disabled veterans, and thousands being used by the general population, it has been determined that veterans who could benefit from these tools should have them.

The benefits are not limited to a single situation. They are ongoing in the day-to-day effort to maintain safe living
as the veteran’s disabilities become more difficult over time.

There are many things that cause loss of mobility. The ravages of war, bad knees or hips, age, weight or degenerative musculoskeletal diseases like Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, Parkinson’s, and a plethora of medical conditions lead to mobility challenges. As veterans age, these conditions are often exacerbated further.

The need for greater independence and mobility

The need to get around the home independently is paramount to a happier existence. The ability to get up to move about is critical to health and well-being. The inability to get up from the couch or commode or even the dinner table is real and, many times, leads to life in a wheelchair. Many physically painful conditions greatly limit the ability to participate in many daily activities..

One of the results of many mobility challenges is a tendency to fall. No matter how safe we make the home, falls occur, regularly for some people and conditions. Most falls do not result in injury, just the need to get back up. When someone falls at home and is unable to get back up, they need to call for help. Many times, that call is to 911, an expensive and humbling situation to say the least. Family and neighbors may also be called, putting those helpers at risk of injury with every incident.

There are many great devices that make homes safer and more comfortable. Walkers, wheelchairs, and powered beds are universal examples. IndeeLift has developed a machine specifically for safely managing mobility challenges relating to lifts and transfers, getting up and moving around the home.

IndeeLift is the People Picker-Upper

The People Picker-Upper (PPU) is a patented, purpose-built-assistive machine that raises a person from the floor to a standing position, or from a seated position to a safe height that will allow them to easily transfer to a couch, bed, recliner, or commode. Other advantages of the PPU are its ability to lower a person to the floor for exercise and stretching activities, or to raise a person in a standing position to achieve the ability to sit on a high seat or bed or to reach into an upper shelf in a closet, etc.

The benefits of Safe Patient Handling and Lift-Assist technology in the homes of disabled and mobility-challenged veterans is understood. Greater safety, in-home mobility, independence, care-giver safety, lower number of nonemergent EMS calls are all justification for supporting the disabled and mobility challenged veteran community with this assistive tool.

Currently, there is an effort to reach mobility-challenged veterans with the express intent of making their home life safer and more flexible, invoking greater independence and privacy. This effort is being kicked off this summer with IndeeLift’s participation in the numerous VSO annual conferences and networks.

With no specific facility within the VA to identify the veterans that will benefit from this assistive technology, IndeeLift has prepared a process that will assist any disabled and mobility-challenged veteran to seek to receive a PPU for their home.

IndeeLift has created this informational packet to help you determine if you qualify for an IndeeLift and if so, to help streamline the process to obtain an IndeeLift via the VA.

How do I know if I qualify to receive an IndeeLift via the Veterans Affairs?

To receive an IndeeLift prescribed and funded by the VA, you must meet certain criteria, i.e., you are enrolled in VA healthcare, disabled with mobility challenges, or you are prone to falls and are unable to get back up on your own. A diagnosis of any of the degenerative musculoskeletal disorders (such as Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Parkinson’s, Myositis, or paraplegia, etc.) or you have mobility challenges due to loss of limb or other physical failure of your body.

I believe I qualify for an IndeeLift and that it will make a difference in not only my life but would benefit my spouse or caregiver and/or reduce or eliminate calls to 911/EMS to help me get up. What’s next?

1. Review the FTS-400 video on the home page of IndeeLift.com
2. Verify that you need the functionality offered by the PPU.
3. Call IndeeLift at 844-700-5438 with any questions about which machine is right for you
4. Contact your VA care provider Doctor, Physical Therapist, etc. and share this information
   brochure

The VA has supported many other veterans like yourself by procuring a life changing IndeeLift for them. We encourage you to start the process with your VA healthcare professional. If you have questions, please reach out to IndeeLift at 1-800-700-5438 or at contact@indeelift.com.