Arjo Patient Lift Service, Inspection & Repair for Skilled Nursing Facilities

Arjo in Skilled Nursing Facilities

Arjo (formerly Arjohanty and Sunrise Medical) is the market leader in patient handling equipment for long-term care in the United States. If your facility has ceiling lift systems, there's a strong chance they're Arjo. Their floor lifts and sit-to-stand lifts are equally common across SNFs, assisted living facilities, and rehabilitation units.

The most common Arjo models in skilled nursing facilities include:

• Maxi Move — Portable ceiling lift, the most widely installed ceiling lift system in U.S. nursing homes
• Maxi Sky — Fixed ceiling lift for bariatric applications (up to 700 lbs)
• Maxi Twin — Two-point ceiling lift for repositioning in bed without transferring the resident
• Sara Stedy / Sara Plus — Sit-to-stand lifts, widely used for residents with partial weight-bearing ability
• Evolution / Golvo — Floor lift systems for full transfers
• Tenor — Compact floor lift for tighter spaces

Each model has distinct PM requirements and inspection procedures. A technician who has serviced Arjo equipment knows where the failure points are and what to look for — which is why brand familiarity matters in a lift inspection technician.

Arjo Patient Lift Inspection Requirements

At minimum, Arjo patient lifts require annual inspection and load testing. This is consistent with:

• Arjo's manufacturer recommendations
• CMS Conditions of Participation (equipment maintenance requirements)
• ASME A10.4 standards for personnel lifts (referenced for ceiling lift systems)
• Most state health department expectations

A complete Arjo patient lift inspection includes:

1. Visual inspection of all structural components — Frame, mast, boom arm, and attachment hardware
2. Actuator and motor testing — Verifying smooth, consistent lift and lower operation across full travel range
3. Sling attachment point inspection — Spreader bar hooks, scale hooks, and attachment hardware checked for wear, deformation, or cracking
4. Load testing — Lifting at rated capacity (ceiling systems typically tested at 125% of rated load) to verify structural integrity and actuator performance
5. Battery and charger testing — Battery capacity and charge cycle verification, charger output check
6. Emergency lowering verification — Confirming the manual emergency lowering function operates correctly
7. Control verification — Testing all pendant/controller functions including emergency stop
8. Track system inspection — For ceiling-mounted systems, inspecting track, mounting brackets, ceiling attachment points, and track trolley components

After inspection, the technician issues a service report with findings, any repairs made, load test results, and a sticker or label indicating the next inspection due date. This documentation goes in your equipment maintenance binder.

Why Patient Lift Maintenance Records Matter to CMS

Patient lift failures are a patient safety issue — and CMS treats them that way. Surveyors look at patient lift maintenance records because lift-related injuries are one of the leading causes of resident injury incidents in nursing homes. An incident involving a resident who fell from a lift with an out-of-date inspection record escalates quickly, often to immediate jeopardy findings.

The most common F-tag citations related to patient lifts include:

• F689 (Free from accident hazards) — Using equipment with expired inspection records or known deficiencies
• F726 (Nurse aide competency) — Staff using lifts they haven't been trained on, or using wrong sling size/type
• F758 (Unnecessary drug use) — Occasionally cited when medication is used to manage fall risk that could have been managed with proper lift equipment and maintenance

Having current inspection records for all your Arjo lifts — and being able to produce them immediately when a surveyor asks — eliminates this risk.

Common Arjo Lift Issues Found During PM

Experienced biomedical technicians servicing Arjo equipment in SNFs commonly find:

• Battery degradation — Batteries lose capacity over 2-3 years of daily use; a lift that runs out of power mid-transfer is a safety incident waiting to happen
• Spreader bar wear — Hook wear at sling attachment points, particularly on high-use floor lifts
• Actuator slowing or stalling — Hydraulic or electric actuator performance degrading under load
• Track trolley wear — Ceiling lift trolleys that stick, skip, or travel unevenly
• Pendant cable strain — Control cable damage at the pendant strain relief point from repeated coiling
• Sling condition — While slings aren't typically serviced by the BMET, technicians often flag worn or damaged slings for replacement

Arjo Lift Repair: What's Typically Repairable

Most Arjo lift components are repairable or replaceable by a qualified technician:

• Battery packs and chargers
• Actuators and motors (electric lifts)
• Control pendants and cables
• Spreader bars and attachment hardware
• Track trolleys and ceiling track components
• Caster assemblies (floor lifts)

After any significant repair, repeat load testing and documentation is required before returning the lift to service. Never return a lift to clinical use after a structural repair without re-testing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Resources

• Patient Lift Inspection Services — All 50 States
• Patient Lift Inspection Requirements for SNFs
• CMS Survey Equipment Maintenance Checklist
• Biomedical Equipment Maintenance Programs