Handicare CalfStrap for MiniLift

The Handicare CalfStrap for MiniLift is Handicare's SystemRoMedic padded calf support, manufacturer code 70200033, with a published safe working load of 200 kg (440 lb). It gives the user support behind the lower legs through the whole stand, and Handicare's own reason for it is as much psychological as mechanical: extra support and a sense of security. Westin Healthcare stocks it in Brampton and ships it across the Greater Toronto Area.

Read your serial number before you order. Handicare lists the CalfStrap for the MiniLift160 in every build, for the MiniLift200 from serial number 200001277, and for the MiniLift125 from serial number 125001653. The gate is not marketing: on the 125 and the 200 the fastener mounts through a hole at the back of the knee support, and lifts built before those serial numbers do not have it.

What the strap actually does

A MiniLift stands a user up from a footplate. The user's shins rest against the leg support and the lift arm brings them forward and upward. That works because the shins have something to push back against, and the CalfStrap is what closes the loop behind them.

Handicare describes it as a padded strap that gives the user extra support and a sense of security when used with the lift. In practice it does two things at once. Mechanically, it stops the lower legs drifting back off the leg support partway through the stand, which is the moment a nervous user tends to pull away. Psychologically, a user who can feel contact behind the calves as well as in front of the shins stops bracing, and a user who stops bracing stands more easily.

It is the accessory to ask about when a transfer keeps stalling halfway, or when the user has enough leg strength for a MiniLift but not enough confidence to trust it.

How it fits

Handicare's fitting procedure, from the instructions for use:

1. Screw the clasps for the CalfStrap to the back of the knee support. Use the spacers and washers supplied, between the leather and the screws.
2. Adjust the length of the strap to suit the user, leaving enough support behind the calves.
3. Place the strap behind the user's calves and fasten it with the clasps, one on either side.

On the MiniLift160 the clasps mount at the side of the leg support. On the MiniLift125 and MiniLift200 the fastener goes through the hole at the back of the knee support, which is the mounting point the serial-number gate is about. The spacers are not optional: they set the standoff between the fastener and the leather so the screws do not bear directly on it.

Once the clasps are mounted, day-to-day use is a clip on either side. The strap stays adjusted to the user, so a lift dedicated to one person is set once.

It is a support strap, not a sling

The CalfStrap does not lift. It supports behind the calves. The part that takes the user's weight on a MiniLift is the ThoraxSling vest, a separate product sized to the person. Fitting a CalfStrap does not change what the lift can raise, and it never substitutes for the vest.

Handicare's rule for any lift assembly applies here as it does everywhere else: different products in the same lift system may have different allowable safe working loads, and the lowest one determines the safe working load of the whole assembly. Check the lift, the vest and every accessory before use, and work to the lowest number among them.

Handicare CalfStrap for MiniLift specifications

Handicare publishes no length or mass figure for this code, so none are printed here. The composition and the safe working load are both printed in the manufacturer's instructions for use, and the clasps and the spacers are supplied with the strap.

Which MiniLift do you have?

Every MiniLift build we stock takes this strap, with the serial condition where Handicare states one.

We do not stock the MiniLift125, but the fitment is listed here because a customer who owns one from another supplier still needs the answer. If you cannot find the serial number on your lift, call (905) 451-7743 and we will talk you through where to look before anything is ordered.

Cleaning and when to retire it

Handicare's care instruction for this code is short: read the product label, do not use rinsing agent, and avoid tumble-drying so the strap lasts longer. No wash temperature is published, so ask us rather than assume one.

The inspection rule is the one Handicare prints for every soft SystemRoMedic accessory, and on a load-touching part it matters:

• Check the condition and function regularly, and always inspect it after laundering.
• Check that seams and material are free from damage.
• Check that the fabric is not worn or faded.
• Apply load and check that the clasps withstand it.
• If there are signs of wear, the product must be discarded.

Related MiniLift parts and accessories

• The ThoraxSling, the sit-to-stand vest the MiniLift lifts with. With or without seat support, in polyester, wipeable or disposable material, sized to the person.
• The SlingBarWrap MiniLift (70200012), soft wipeable protection for the bar, which Handicare recommends for users with uncontrolled movements or a tendency to tilt forward.
• The external Linak charger (70200029), listed by Handicare for all models and variants of MiniLift.
• Hand control HB33-6 (70200089), a 6-button control with service, battery status and overload indicators, listed for the MiniLift160EE codes 60300012 and 60300013 only.

The rest of our lift parts sit on the lift parts shelf, and the complete standing aids are on the sit-to-stand lifts hub and the patient lifts hub.

Delivery and setup in Brampton and the GTA

Small parts ship on our standard service. Westin's own team delivers across Brampton and the Greater Toronto Area, and you are welcome to visit our Brampton showroom, or Mobility Specialties, our partner store in Etobicoke, if you would rather match the part to your lift in person.

Call (905) 451-7743 with the serial number off your MiniLift and we will confirm the fit before the order goes out. Shipping terms are on the shipping policy page, and any charge is confirmed on your order.

Service, repairs, and warranty

When something on the lift needs work, you call the shop that set it up, not an overseas parts desk. Westin Healthcare has a service and repairs department, and our technicians come to the home or workplace.

Handicare warranty on soft accessories

Handicare publishes no standalone warranty document for the CalfStrap. The instructions for use give one condition, and it is the one that governs a strap in daily use: if there are signs of wear, the product must be discarded. Ask us for the current terms that ship with your order and we will handle a claim with you.

Frequently asked questions

What does a CalfStrap do?

It is a padded strap that sits behind the user's calves during a stand on a MiniLift. Handicare's stated purpose is extra support and a sense of security. It keeps the lower legs against the leg support through the stand and it gives a nervous user something to feel behind them.

Will it fit my MiniLift?

MiniLift160, any build, yes. MiniLift200, yes from serial number 200001277. MiniLift125, yes from serial number 125001653. Earlier MiniLift200 and MiniLift125 lifts do not have the mounting hole at the back of the knee support that the fastener needs. Check the serial number first.

Where is the serial number on my lift?

Handicare puts a serial-number sticker on every lift, but the published documents for this accessory do not say where it sits on a MiniLift. Call (905) 451-7743 and we will talk you through it rather than have you guess.

Is this a sling?

No. It supports, it does not lift. The load-bearing part on a MiniLift is the ThoraxSling vest, a separate product sized to the person. Fitting a CalfStrap does not change what your lift is rated to raise.

What is the safe working load?

Handicare prints 200 kg (440 lb) on the instructions for use for this code. Remember the rule that governs any assembly: the lowest rating among the lift, the vest and every accessory is the rating of the whole assembly, so check all of them before use.

What is it made of?

Polyester, 60%, with a polyurethane layer, 40%. That is the manufacturer's published composition.

Do I need tools to fit it?

Once, for the clasps. They screw to the knee support with spacers and washers supplied in the box, between the leather and the screws. After that the strap clips on and off by hand.

Can I wash it?

Handicare's instruction is to read the product label, not to use rinsing agent, and to avoid tumble-drying. No wash temperature is published for this code. Always inspect the strap after laundering and discard it if the seams, the material or the colour show wear.

Does it come with the lift?

No. Handicare lists it as an accessory, quoted separately, so it can be added when a user actually needs it. If you are ordering a MiniLift at the same time, tell us and we will put both on one order and fit the clasps before delivery.

Will one strap suit two different users?

The length adjusts, so yes, but it has to be reset for each person and checked before every transfer. On a lift shared between users in a care setting, set it to the user in front of you rather than leaving it on the last setting.