Patient and vehicle lifts can be missed opportunities for HME providers and their customers.
by Larry Anderson

Wheelchairs and scooters do wonders for a disabled person's
mobility, but they are only part of the equation. To achieve more
complete mobility, whether in the home or venturing out into
everyday life, people needs other tools, such as various types of
patient and vehicle lifts.

The fact that more people buy wheelchairs and scooters than lift
and transfer devices suggests a missed opportunity, both on the
part of the patient, who lacks the products that can help meet his
or her mobility challenges, and on the part of the home medical
equipment provider, who misses out on additional sales.

For example, the sales levels of scooters or power chairs and
automotive lifts are rarely equal, says Todd Bick, national sales
manager of Freedom Sciences, which supplies automotive lifts,
mobility seats and mobility vehicle systems that aid in scooter or
power chair transportation. "HME providers must find creative ways
to sell one-for-one," Bick says.

"Using a power chair or a scooter is only part of maintaining
mobility," agrees Brian Mills, lifts product manager, Pride Mobility
Products Corp.
, whose Silver Star line includes exterior lifts,
boom lifts and interior platform lifts for various automotive
vehicle types. "The part that is usually overlooked is how to
transport the power chair or scooter to and from work, to the mall
or to a friend's house."

There is also an increasing need for in-home lift products.
"We're noticing the trend is for patients to stay in their houses a
lot longer [before going into nursing homes], and patient lifts are
becoming an embedded part of that environment," says Fran Spidare,
group product manager, patient transport, Invacare Corp.,
which offers mechanical and battery-powered full body and
stand-assist patient lifts for the home environment.

HME providers are uniquely positioned to take a broad view of
the various products a patient will need related to mobility and to
"bundle" the solutions to suit that patient's needs. "HME providers
are really good at being able to look at the complete home care
plan to determine if a person would quality for a wheelchair, for a
lift," Spidare says. "Providers should look at the full package of
what a patient will need at home. That's how the HME provider
becomes an integral part of what the community needs."

Developments in Patient Lifts

Patient lift designs are evolving to meet market demands, for
example, to include higher weight capacities to meet the needs of a
heavier population, says Thomas Herceg, president, SureHands Lift &
Care Systems
, which makes a variety of systems for attendant
care and self-transfer.

Most reimbursement funds are tied to mechanical lifts, so thin
profit margins have slowed development of those products. But
Invacare sees an opportunity in battery-powered lifts, which offer
a better margin from cash sales, or from customers willing to pay
the difference above the lower level (mechanical) reimbursement,
Spidare says.

Aesthetics are important, too, especially in the case of
products that become part of the home, notes Mike Krawczyk,
marketing manager for Bruno Independent Living Aids, a supplier of stair
lifts and vertical platform lifts (porch lifts).

"The stair lift should fit into their home and not look like a
piece of medical equipment," Krawczyk says. "Design is very
important. They want to make sure it is not an eyesore. In many
cases, there is a choice of leather or various fabrics that the
client may want for the visual appeal."

Newer stair lift designs include flip-up foot rests, arms and
seats that take up less room, as do the rails, and parts that fold
up to make everything compact, thus enabling other people to walk
on the staircase.

The troubled real estate market is an opportunity for providers,
since more elderly couples are choosing to install stair lifts
instead of moving into ranch homes with no stairs, Krawczyk says.
"Our stair lift sales over the last six months have been steady and
growing; more people are opting to stay in their home," he
says.

Bruno's porch lifts can be powered either by battery or the home
current. The company's vertical platform lifts have a 750-lb.
lifting capacity, which can handle the load even if a power
wheelchair weighs 350 pounds and the patient weighs 300 pounds. A
canopy option is offered in case of rain.

Developments in Vehicle Lifts

With vehicles getting smaller and more streamlined,
manufacturers have to adapt with compact designs and creative ways
to transport power chairs and scooters and to aid people getting
into and exiting vehicles, says Bick of Freedom Sciences.

The company's Freedom Lift line is evolving with low-profile
designs to accommodate the curvatures and shallow trunk
compartments of most new vehicles. Its Automated Transport and
Retrieval System employs a laser-guided "smart chair" navigation
system to control and guide a power chair from a platform lift at
the rear of a vehicle to the driver or passenger door and back
again.

"The technology is becoming simpler," notes Conor Sullivan,
director of marketing for Harmar Mobility, whose lifts allow a patient to lift
or store their wheelchair, power chair or scooter in or behind a
vehicle.

"As reimbursements continue to drop, HME providers need
different revenue streams to remain successful. These cash products
are easy to learn and easy to install, resulting in minimal
barriers to entry for the provider," Sullivan says.

Advances in design that emphasize reliability, functionality and
simplicity along with extensive testing have enabled lifts to
withstand the environments where they will be used, says Mills.
Pride offers a lift model designed on a smaller platform to be more
compact and to fit in the latest vehicles comfortably while
allowing second row seating to remain in place.

Products also have been simplified through advances in securing
strap technology, for example, a strap that can be operated using
one hand with an ergonomic handle to allow easy release and
ratcheting action to disengage, engage and secure the mobility
product with little effort, he adds.

Installation of the interior platform lift has been simplified
significantly through development of adapters designed to secure
lifts in specific automobiles they were designed to fit.
Installation time has been reduced to as little as an hour,
requiring little or no modifications to the auto interior.

Provider Training

Harmar's Sullivan says the best source for HME providers to
learn about lift products is to talk to the experts — the
manufacturers. For example, Harmar has cash sales experts available
to offer assistance, and there are free technical and product
training classes available at its facility.

SureHands offers regularly scheduled sales and service training
for qualified providers and representatives, as do other
makers.

In the case of Freedom Sciences, mobility providers who wish to
offer the automotive lifts line must first be trained and certified
at a factory location, says Bick. The technical training covers
installation and vehicle applications.

Pride supports education by offering hands-on training classes
available through its national Seminar Tour, which travels the
country to present continuing education courses for providers. The
manufacturer also makes available company experts in the fields of
product research, design, testing, electronics and mechanical
functionality in order to enhance providers' expertise in the
mobility products industry.

Consumer Education

Education for consumers is also a key component in this product
category, manufacturers say. The old standard of having a delivery
person drop off a hydraulic floor lift has been replaced by
in-servicing sophisticated systems that can help to maximize the
ability of the user and their caregiver. The educational process
should begin with an initial evaluation of the user and his or her
needs prior to purchase.

For SureHands, that evaluation includes the user's self-lifting
capabilities as well as a thorough review and assessment of the
architecture of the home where the lifting system will be
installed. It is important that the provider meet with the customer
to learn about their current situation in order to understand how a
lift system would enhance their lifestyle, says Herceg.

"It is usually the children who are in charge of caring for an
aging parent in the home and who need education about the equipment
and how easy it is to use," says Spidare of Invacare. "[HME
providers] need to reach out into their community and say,
‘This is the equipment, it is available, and this is how you
use it. This is how you can afford to keep someone in the home
environment a lot longer.’"

Spidare also suggests that providers hold an open house showing
a full array of lift products. In many cases, people don't know
that the equipment exists, she points out.

"We spend a great deal of money each year shooting videos and
creating DVDs for our dealers to use in their showroom or with a
laptop computer in a home," says Krawczyk of Bruno. "We also spend
a lot of money on product and technical literature so dealers can
answer questions."

In other words, these manufacturers say, HME companies should
play an active role in educating patients and caregivers to make
them aware of the various options available to maintain mobility.
For example, a transport lift for a wheelchair should be a primary
consideration, not an afterthought, which can cause compatibility
issues that are unnecessary and not easy to resolve, says Pride's
Mills.

But providers can't do it alone. In order to assist with its
product line, Harmar is beginning to market directly to patients
and caregivers. "After raising initial awareness of the product, we
will then send the consumer leads to the HME provider, where they
can complete the sale," says Sullivan.

Selling More Lift Products

For HME providers looking at innovative ways to sell more
lift/transfer products, manufacturers offer these ideas:

  • Creative financing

Freedom Sciences offers consumer financing in which a scooter or
power chair can be combined with a lift purchase. Low payments over
extended periods can be provided for a higher-dollar combined
purchase.

  • Remember to ask for the sale
  • "If an HME provider just sold a chair or scooter, why not ask
    the customer if they are going to want to take their chair or
    scooter out and about with them?" suggests Conor Sullivan of
    Harmar. "Most consumers are not aware these products exist."
    Databases of wheelchair and power chair customers can also be good
    leads.

  • Keep demo units on hand and on display
  • "If a client sees a lift display when looking for their mobility
    product, they could be more likely to inquire about how a lift
    system would benefit them," says Brian Mills of Pride Mobility.

  • Install lifts on delivery vans, Mills suggests
  • What better way to demonstrate the convenience of transporting a
    mobility product?

  • Consider all possibilities
  • Bruno's Mike Krawczyk tells about an HME provider in Minnesota
    who took an especially novel approach. "He happened to frequent a
    large furniture store with two levels, and he noticed that the
    store had to have personnel bring chairs or couches down to the
    bottom level to show them to customers who couldn't climb the
    stairs. He said, ‘If you'll let me install a stair lift in
    your store, I will do it for free.’ He has had great success
    partnering with a furniture store."

    Selling Related Products

    A related product category that providers should not miss is
    lift chairs and cushions.

    Uplift
    Technologies
    offers both its Seat Assist and Power Seat
    products. A product with a hydro-pneumatic gas spring can lift up
    to about 80 percent of the user's weight to help customers who have
    light to moderate difficulties standing. The company's power lift
    handles 100 percent of body weight.

    "Our lifting cushions are designed for people who are still
    mobile but just need some help," says Michele Fash, product
    manager. But she cautions providers must know about a particular
    customer's needs to recommend the correct product. And knowing
    those details could also lead to sales of additional products to
    ease the home situation.

    "HME providers need to identify which product is suitable for
    each customer," says Fash. "Ask the right questions," she advises.
    For example, she explains, the manufacturer's Seat Assist is for a
    customer with pain in the joints and hips but who otherwise is
    mobile, with sufficient strength in their arms and legs to initiate
    the standing motion.

    Lift cushions also answer providers' need for a cash product;
    they are a less expensive product and thus generate more
    out-of-pocket sales, says Fash. "We see more of a shift to cash
    — it's actually happening."

    The company provides written materials, brochures and sales
    sheets for providers, as well as in-service training for staff. "We
    work with them on their referral base," says Fash.

    Experts Interviewed

    Todd Bick, national sales manager, Freedom Sciences, Green Lake,
    Pa.; Michele Fash, product manager, Uplift Technologies, Dartmouth,
    Nova Scotia; Thomas Herceg, president, SureHands Lift & Care
    Systems, Pine Island, N.Y.; Mike Krawczyk, marketing manager, Bruno
    Independent Living Aids, Oconomowoc, Wis.; Brian Mills, lifts
    product manager, Pride Mobility Products Corp., Exeter, Pa.; Fran
    Spidare, group product manager, patient transport, Invacare Corp.,
    Elyria, Ohio; and Conor Sullivan, director of marketing, Harmar
    Mobility, Sarasota, Fla.