Doctors know that patients who are unable to maintain a healthy body weight are at higher risks for serious diseases and other complications including:
- Heart disease
- Osteoporosis
- Lung issues
- Diabetes
- Respiratory issues
- Weakened immune systems
The increased risk of these diseases and complications makes monitoring the weight of patients incredibly important. However, not all patients are easily able to step on and off a scale, without causing injury.
At Arlyn Scales, we can customize our 320D line of Platform Scales into a unique wheelchair scale design that allows caregivers to monitor their patients’ weight without having to physically remove the patient from their wheelchair. If you’re looking for a wheelchair scale, there are several criteria to ensure safety for the patient that is being weighed.
Major Factors to Consider When Choosing a Wheelchair Scale
- Safety and ease of use for the patient as well as the caregiver
- Durability and ruggedness
- Scale Accuracy
- Cost
- Graphics Display
- Safety and Ease of Use
Our Arlyn 320-WC wheelchair scale comes with an on/off ramp with a gentle incline, making it easy for a patient and caregiver to roll onto the scale’s large platform.
Grab bars are also available to offer support for patients that choose to walk or stand for short distances.
With an extremely low profile of less than two inches, as well as a gently inclining ramp, along with a rubber mat on the scale platform, the scale poses no tripping or slipping hazard.
Depending on the budget of your healthcare facility, you may not have the resources to purchase a wheelchair scale for each individual room. For these scenarios, where budget is a primary concern, we offer a lightweight portable option that can be easily moved from room to room. These portable wheelchair scales feature an aluminum frame, fold down posts, side casters as well as a rechargeable battery pack with AC adapter.
For practices that utilize a medical record system, our scales offer a variety of connectivity options, including Bluetooth, which allows weight data to be instantly transferred to a data file. Using an optional Bluetooth (BLE or Bluetooth 4.0) connection or WiFi connectivity (w/ Arlyn UpScale Indicator) allows the scale to transfer data wirelessly to preserve the scale’s portability and ensure that patient records are stored safely and securely.
- Durability and Ruggedness
Rather than plated steel or aluminum load cells used by most manufacturers, we use stainless steel due to its increased strength and durability when placed under stress or handled roughly. Combined with our heavy-duty welded frame, which is rust resistant, our scales are sure to provide years of trouble-free service.
- Scale Accuracy
Arlyn’s best selling wheelchair scale, the 320-WC features an 500-1000 pound maximum capacity, which easily accommodates patients along with their chairs of almost any size. While our wheelchair scale offers a large capacity, it also offers a high resolution of 0.1lb – 0.2lb (depending on capacity chosen).
The scale’s large memory is able to hold hundreds of weight values for all types of wheelchair makes and models. No math calculations need to take place when subtracting the weight of a patient’s wheelchair; the scale automatically subjects the weight of the wheelchair and displays the weight of the patient on the large digital display.
Our scales also feature an automatic calibration feature that means no dealer service or repair is required. We also utilize a motion compensation feature that is used to reject inaccurate measurements, which can be caused by excessive movement.
- Cost
Due to our unique factory direct approach, we’re able to avoid many of the costs tacked on by dealers and distributors. We’re able to offer better accuracy, as well as improved features and higher quality construction at close to half the cost of many of our competitors. Our scales are also proudly designed and manufactured in the USA, which translates into lower shipping costs, higher quality products and less lead times.
Many wheelchair scale manufacturers require high cost trucking to ship their scales, which can easily cost several hundred dollars at a minimum. Our scale is the only full-sized wheelchair scale that can be shipped through standard shipping providers like UPS.
- Large Display
During the weighing of patients, it can be difficult to view the scale’s display, especially if it is extremely small. This can contribute to inaccurate patient weight readings. In turn, this could have disastrous consequences due to the fact that medication dosage is often calculated by patient weight.
At Arlyn Scales we’ve developed a display that shows weight results using large, 1” block graphic digits. This helps the caregiver to quickly record the weight accurately to prevent any errors.
Interested in Learning More About Wheelchair Scales?
When you first started shopping for wheelchair scales, you may not have realized just how much goes into ensuring your patient’s weight data is accurate. At Arlyn Scales, we’ve worked for more than 30 years to perfect the weighing instruments that we provide to all of our customers, regardless of industry. We strive to take the industry standard and offer additional features that are unmatched among the competition.
One of the areas in which we excel relates to our customer support. When you work with our team, you’re talking with the actual individuals that are designing and building your scale. This gives our employees a high level of knowledge that is only gained through years of working directly with the intricacies of scale manufacturing.
If you’re interested in learning more about our line of wheelchair scales, don’t hesitate to contact our sales team today at 800-645-4301. We’ll be happy to go over all of the unique features of our scales and discuss your unique needs. We look forward to working with you soon to find a scale that surpasses your expectations.
