HANDICARE WGS DISPOSABLE UNIVERSAL SLING

The Handicare WGS Disposable Sling is the Handicare Universal Sling made in disposable fabric, for single patient use. It is a full-body seated transfer sling with integrated head support, and it is used where a sling has to stay with one person and then leave the building rather than go into the laundry. Westin Healthcare supplies it by the case across Brampton and the Greater Toronto Area.

Handicare labels this build WGS and lists it in its sling brochure under the Universal Sling, in the Disposable material. It is sold in cases of ten, in four sizes.

Safe working load: 625 lb, and why that matters

Handicare prints a safe working load of 625 lb (283 kg) for all four of these codes: 547050-10, 547060-10, 547070-10 and 547080-10.

You will find a higher figure quoted elsewhere for this sling. It belongs to a different article. Handicare also makes a Premium Disposable range, codes 547051-10 and its siblings, with padded leg and head support and a higher rating. These four codes are the standard Disposable build and their rating is 625 lb. If you need the heavier build, tell us and we will ask Savaria whether it can be quoted.

As always, the installed system is only as strong as its weakest part: the lift, the carry bar and the sling each have a rating and the lowest one governs.

Who this sling is for

Handicare describes the Universal Sling as a multi-purpose sling that provides toileting access as well as good trunk and thigh support. It lifts a person from supine or from seated, and Handicare states it can be used for clients with limited upper body function and tone.

The disposable build is chosen for a specific reason rather than as a cheaper reusable. Reach for it when:

• The sling must not be shared between people, for infection control reasons.
• The person is on a short admission and a laundered sling would not come back before they leave.
• There is no laundry that can handle sling washing at the required temperature.

If the sling will be used for months by one person in one place, a reusable polyester or mesh sling is the better article. Ask us about the Handicare Hammock Sling or the Universal High Back Sling.

What the sling does

• Integrated head support. On the disposable build the head support is standard, not an option. That is what allows the two hardest transfers, lifting up from the floor and moving someone higher up in bed, both of which Handicare marks as requiring head support.
• Generous lateral trunk support, with support around the hips and sacral area and under the thighs up to the shoulders.
• Divided leg supports that can be applied and removed with the person seated or supine, with the leg straps positionable for different levels of support.
• Built-in caregiver handles on each side, which give the caregiver control of the person during the move rather than pushing on the person themselves.
• Medium commode opening, giving toileting access when clothing is removed in advance.

Handicare lists these transfers for the Universal Sling: up from the floor, higher up in bed, bed to wheelchair, bed to commode, wheelchair to toilet, transfer to tub, and positioning in a chair.

Compatibility

This is a loop sling with colour-coded loops. It is not a clip sling and it will not fit a stud-type or clip carry bar.

• Carry bars. Handicare states that all of its loop-style slings are compatible with its complete range of carry bars.
• Lifts. Handicare states the Universal Sling can be used with a floor or a ceiling lift. It works with our published Handicare ceiling lifts, including the A450, and with loop-bar floor lifts.
• Attaching it. Use the same colour loops on both sides. Short loops go to the shoulders and long loops to the legs if you want the person lifted in an upright seated position.

If you are matching this sling to a lift you already own, send us the make and model of the lift and a photograph of the carry bar. Loop and clip bars are easy to tell apart once you know what you are looking at, and we will confirm it for you before you order a case.

Sizing

Use the selector to pick the size on your quote. Handicare publishes these bands for its seated slings:

Handicare adds that two people of the same height and weight can still need different sizes, and that if the person weighs more than 400 lb (181 kg) a sling consultation is recommended. We can arrange one. Every size is a case of ten.

Handling a single-use sling

This sling is for one patient. Handicare's fabric is a non-woven stitch-bond polyester that is strong, highly breathable and liquid repellent, and it can be spot cleaned of light soiling. It must not be laundered. When it is soiled beyond spot cleaning, or damaged, it comes out of service.

Inspect before every use as you would with any sling: check the straps, the loops and the fabric for fraying, cuts or tears, and do not use one that fails the check.

On leaving the sling under the person, Handicare's own documents differ for this fabric. The sling brochure describes disposable fabric slings as designed to be left in place; the Universal Sling instruction sheet says slings should only be left in place if they are made of spacer fabric, because other fabrics increase the risk of skin breakdown over long periods. Treat it as a clinical decision for the treating team, document the reasoning, and follow the instruction sheet supplied with the sling.

WGS Disposable Sling specifications

These figures are printed by Handicare and Savaria Patient Care for these exact codes.

Delivery in Brampton and the GTA

Westin's own team delivers across Brampton and the Greater Toronto Area. We have three stores in the Brampton and Toronto area, and we can hold stock of the sizes your facility turns over most. Call (905) 451-7743 or use the contact page with the lift model, the carry bar type and the sizes you go through in a month. Shipping terms are described on the shipping policy page, and any charge is confirmed on your order.

Service and training

Handicare states that only people who have received proper training should use its lift systems, and that an ongoing training programme should be in place. Westin Healthcare has a service and repairs department for the lifts and ceiling track these slings work with, and we can help arrange training on the lift as well as the sling. Ask us for the Savaria terms that ship with your order.

Frequently asked questions

What weight can the WGS Disposable Sling take?

625 lb (283 kg), and that is the figure for all four sizes. A higher figure circulating for this sling belongs to Handicare's separate Premium Disposable range with padded leg and head support, not to codes 547050-10 through 547080-10.

Can it be washed?

No. It is a single patient use article. Light soiling can be spot cleaned; the sling must not be laundered, and it comes out of service once it is soiled beyond spot cleaning or damaged.

Does it come with head support?

Yes. On the disposable build the head support is integrated, which is why Handicare lists this sling for lifting a person up from the floor and moving them higher up in bed, both of which need head support.

Will it fit my lift?

If your carry bar is a loop bar, yes. This is a loop sling with colour-coded loops, and Handicare states that all its loop-style slings fit its complete range of carry bars, on floor or ceiling lifts. It will not fit a clip or stud-type bar. Send us the lift model and a photograph of the bar and we will confirm.

How many slings come in a case?

Ten. Every size on the selector is a case of ten.

Which size do I order?

Start from Handicare's bands in the table above, then use clinical judgement, because two people of the same height and weight can need different sizes. Handicare recommends a sling consultation for anyone over 400 lb (181 kg), and we can arrange one.

Can the sling be left under the person between transfers?

Handicare's own documents differ on this for disposable fabric: the sling brochure says disposable slings are designed to be left in place, and the Universal Sling instruction sheet says only spacer fabric slings should be. Treat it as a clinical decision, document the reasoning, and follow the instruction sheet supplied with the sling.

What does WGS stand for?

Handicare prints WGS on the article and in its device listing but does not publish what the letters stand for, so we will not guess. What matters practically is that WGS is Handicare's disposable build of the Universal Sling, which is what this page describes.

Would a reusable sling be better value?

It depends on whether the sling can be shared and laundered. If it can, a reusable polyester or mesh sling lasts far longer. If infection control, a short admission or the absence of a suitable laundry rules that out, the disposable is the right article. Tell us the situation and we will tell you honestly which one fits.