Handicare Mover Plus Transfer Platform

The Handicare Mover Plus Transfer Platform is Handicare's SystemRoMedic mobile transfer platform, manufacturer code 53-302, with a safe working load of 150 kg (330 lb). Westin Healthcare delivers it and sets it up across Brampton and the Greater Toronto Area.

It is not powered. There is no motor, no battery, no hand control and no sling. The user steps onto the platform, holds the crossbar, stands, and the caregiver pushes. What the Mover Plus adds over walking the person across the room is a stable floor under their feet, something solid to pull up on, padded supports at the shins and a seat behind them if the trip is longer than one step.

Who this platform is for

Handicare's condition is one sentence in the manual and it is not a soft one:

The product is only intended to be used for care recipients who are able to stand up without assistance or who can stand with minimal assistance.

That is narrower than it sounds. A transfer platform is not a stand aid that raises somebody. There is no mechanism. If the person cannot get to their feet with a hand and a rail, the Mover Plus will not change that, and a powered stand aid or a full-body lift is the right machine instead.

Handicare also prints three limits on how it is used, and they are worth knowing before it arrives:

• Indoors, on flat surfaces only. Not outdoors, and not over thresholds at speed.
• Short transfers only. Handicare states it is not intended for long transporting of users.
• Not for long periods of sitting or moving. The seat is for the trip, not for the day.

Inside those limits it does one job very well: bed to chair, chair to wheelchair, wheelchair to toilet, in a room where a hoist would be too much machine.

What is actually on it

Every part of the Mover Plus exists to solve one problem in the transfer, and Handicare names each one.

• The low step. The whole reason the platform is low is so a user does not have to lift their feet high to get on it, which is the moment a shaky transfer usually goes wrong.
• The platform surface. Non-slip, and made from marine plywood, so a user stands steadily with or without shoes.
• The crossbar. Something solid to pull against while standing up.
• The shin supports. Large contact surfaces so standing is comfortable for users with longer legs too, and well padded to prevent pressure on the lower legs.
• The seat cushions. Split, giving good support, and they fold up easily so they are out of the way for the stand and down for the ride.
• The narrow base frame with the low leg design. This is what lets the platform come close to a user who is sitting in a wheelchair, and what lets it manoeuvre in a small bathroom.
• Double castors. Two contact surfaces per castor, which is why it steers as easily as it does with someone on it. The rear castors are braked.
• Ergonomic handlebars. Shaped for the caregiver, who is the person actually doing the pushing.

One more thing that is not a part: the geometry keeps the user and the caregiver facing each other for the whole transfer. Handicare designs for it deliberately, and it is the difference between a person being moved and a person being helped.

Handicare Mover Plus Transfer Platform specifications

Two figures are missing from that table on purpose. Handicare's own documents print two different rear castor diameters for this code, so the page gives the front castor, which both sources agree on, and describes the rear castors as braked without asserting a size. Ask us before ordering a replacement castor and we will confirm what is on your machine. The rear leg height row in the North American brochure is internally inconsistent, so it is omitted rather than repeated.

Handicare gives the Mover Plus an expected lifespan of at least 10 years if regular maintenance is carried out and broken parts are replaced as necessary, and recommends a general overhaul once a year on top of the daily checks.

Mover Plus or Mover Aqua?

Handicare builds two platforms on this frame and the difference is where they can go.

If the platform never goes near water, the Mover Plus is the one to buy. If the transfer ends at a shower chair or the platform has to go into the shower itself, order the Mover Aqua instead: the cushions and the fittings are specified for it and the Plus's are not. This is not a decision that can be changed afterwards.

Will it fit the room?

• Through the door. The external width is 64 cm (25.2 in).
• Up to the wheelchair. The step opening is 38 cm (15.0 in) wide, and the low leg design is what closes the last few centimetres between the platform and a seated user.
• Room to push. The platform is 94 cm (37.0 in) long and the handlebars sit at 104 cm (40.9 in), so the caregiver needs standing room behind it.

Handicare does not publish a turning diameter. Send us the room dimensions or call (905) 451-7743 and we will work through it with you rather than guess.

Cleaning and maintenance

Handicare requires the product to be cleaned and disinfected regularly, after every use if necessary and at least once a day. Clean it with a cloth, warm water or a soap solution, and check that the castors are free of dirt and hair while you are there.

Two prohibitions matter. Do not use cleaning agents containing phenol or chlorine: Handicare states they damage the materials, dry out the cushions and cause premature cracking. And the Mover Plus must not be cleaned using steam, must not be lowered into water, and must not be left or stored in a damp or humid environment. If the machine has to live in a wet room, you want the Mover Aqua.

Handicare also asks for paint damage to be repaired as soon as possible so the frame does not corrode and shorten the platform's life, and for maintenance to be performed at least once every 12 months.

Funding help for a transfer aid in Ontario

Ontario's Assistive Devices Program (ADP) does not cover patient lifts or other lifting devices. Funding routes that can help when the eligibility criteria fit: ODSP, March of Dimes Canada, and hardship funding programs. Westin Healthcare's staff work with these programs every week and will point you to the right route for your situation. Visit our funding page or call (905) 451-7743 to talk it through before you buy.

Delivery and setup in Brampton and the GTA

Westin's own team delivers and sets up this platform across Brampton and the Greater Toronto Area. We bring it in, check the brakes and the castors, and show the caregiver how the seat pads fold and where to stand before we leave.

You are welcome to visit our Brampton showroom, or Mobility Specialties, our partner store in Etobicoke, if you would rather try a transfer platform first. For a scheduled in-home setup, call (905) 451-7743 and we will book the next date that works.

Transfer platforms are oversized. The Canada-wide free ground-shipping offer on smaller goods does not apply. If the platform is going outside the GTA, ask us for a freight quote. Inside Toronto and the GTA, White-Glove Delivery (bring-in, unwrap, test, take packaging away) is described on the shipping policy. Any charge is confirmed on your order.

Can I rent before I buy?

If you only need a transfer aid for a recovery, ask us about renting first. Current packages and rates are on the rentals hub and the patient lift rentals page. Westin rents electric floor lifts across Brampton and the GTA, with same-day delivery in Brampton, Etobicoke, Toronto and Mississauga and next-day delivery elsewhere with one day of notice.

Ask us whether a transfer platform is on the rental fleet for your dates, because the fleet is built around powered lifts. If you later decide to buy, ask about the Rental to Purchase First Month Credit program, an active Westin loyalty program. The rentals hub and the rental program FAQs have the rules.

Related transfer aids from Westin

A transfer platform sits at the independent end of the range. As the user needs more help, the machine has to do more:

• The Handicare Mover Aqua, the same platform built for shower use.
• The Handicare QuickMove, also non-powered, but with a knee pad, an adjustable base and a seat that swings away, for a user who needs more support through the stand itself.
• The Handicare MiniLift160EE, a powered stand aid that raises the user on a ThoraxSling vest at 160 kg (350 lb), for a user who cannot stand unaided.
• The Handicare Eva600EE, a passive full-body floor lift, for a user who cannot take load through their legs at all.

Everything sits on the sit-to-stand lifts hub and the patient lifts hub. If you are not sure which end of that range the person is at, call us and we will work through it with you.

Service, repairs, and warranty

When something on the platform 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 and inspection

The owner's manual states that warranty applies only if repairs or alterations are made by personnel authorised by Direct Healthcare Group, and that maintenance must be performed according to the manual at least once every 12 months. No year count is printed, so ask us for the current terms that ship with your serial number and we will handle a claim with you. Handicare recommends a general overhaul once a year and publishes an expected lifespan of at least 10 years with regular maintenance. We can quote the annual inspection with the platform.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Mover Plus powered?

No. There is no motor, no battery and no hand control. The user stands under their own power and the caregiver pushes. That is why it is light, quick between transfers and simple to maintain, and it is also why the user has to be able to stand.

Who can use one?

Handicare's condition is that the care recipient must be able to stand up without assistance, or stand with minimal assistance. If the person cannot get to their feet with a hand and a rail, they need a stand aid or a lift instead.

Does it use a sling?

No, and none fits. The Mover Plus is a platform, not a hoist.

What weight does it take?

150 kg (330 lb). That figure is printed in Handicare's owner's manual twice, on Direct Healthcare Group's product page and in Direct Healthcare Group's brochure against part 53-302. If you have seen a lower number on a printed brochure, it is a known misprint and we have reported it.

Can it go in the shower?

No. The Mover Plus must not be lowered into water, cleaned with steam, or stored in a damp or humid environment. For shower use, Handicare builds the Mover Aqua (53-301) with polyurethane cushions and stainless fittings. That is a different order, not a different setting.

How is it different from a QuickMove?

Both are non-powered and both keep the user facing the caregiver, but they support differently. The Mover Plus is a platform the user stands on and rides. The QuickMove has an adjustable knee pad, an adjustable base opened by a foot pedal and a seat that swings away, so it supports the stand itself more actively. A user who needs help getting up, rather than help getting across the room, is usually better on a QuickMove.

Will it fit through my doorway?

It is 64 cm (25.2 in) wide externally and 94 cm (37.0 in) long. Measure the narrowest door and the clear floor beside the bed, and remember the caregiver needs standing room behind the handlebars.

Can it go over a threshold?

Handicare says to take care not to drive over thresholds at speed or with force, to approach at low speed, to pass the back wheel over first, and to tell the user a threshold is coming. It is designed for flat indoor floors.

What is the platform made of?

Marine plywood with a non-slip surface, which is what lets a user stand steadily with or without shoes.

How do I clean it?

Warm water or a soap solution on a cloth, regularly, after every use if necessary and at least once a day. Keep the castors free of dirt and hair. Do not use anything containing phenol or chlorine: Handicare states it damages the materials and dries out the cushions.

Does ADP cover a transfer aid in Ontario?

No. Ontario's Assistive Devices Program does not cover patient lifts or other lifting devices. Other routes can help when the criteria fit, and our staff will point you at the right one. Call (905) 451-7743 before you buy.

Can one caregiver use it alone?

Handicare designs it to be safely used by one carer, and adds that each carer is individually responsible for assessing whether the product suits the person in front of them and whether the transfer needs one carer or two. Never leave the user alone during a transfer.