HealthCraft Advantage Pole with Rail

The HealthCraft Advantage Pole with Rail is the Advantage Rail, part AR-T: a floor-mounted transfer rail with a bar that swings around the mast and locks every 45 degrees. It gives a handhold to sit or stand at a bed, chair or toilet where a ceiling pole will not work. The mast is bolted into the floor.

What does it do and how does it work?

• Mast: 2.25 in (57 mm) steel with a white anti-microbial powder coat.
• Rail: 17 in (432 mm) from the mast; lift to turn, lower to lock, in 8 positions every 45 degrees.
• Height: 30 to 38 in (762 to 965 mm), set in 2 in (51 mm) steps.
• Floor plate: 7.5 in (191 mm) round, hidden by a base cover.

Who is it for, and who should choose something else?

It is for someone who can take their own weight and needs a steady handhold to sit or stand.

• Lifting: it is not a hoist. Choose a patient lift if the person must be lifted.
• Full body weight: the rail is not intended to support it; it takes moderate load only.
• Dementia or confusion: entrapment risk rises with confusion, memory or sleep problems, restlessness, frailty or sedation. It is not a restraint or a barrier to leaving the bed.
• Heavier or portable: A heavier user needs AR-T-HD. A rail that moves between rooms is AR-PT.

Will it fit?

• Floor: the mast is lag-bolted into a structurally sound floor; drilling is always required. Tile or carpet is fine over a sound floor.
• Wood: six 1/4 x 3 in lag bolts are included and need 2 in (51 mm) of thread in solid wood. Bolt into a joist or add wood blocking.
• Concrete: anchors are not included. HealthCraft names a 5/16 in sleeve or wedge anchor; other fasteners must retain at least 600 lbs (272 kg).
• Installer: use a qualified contractor if you are not equipped for the work.

Where should it go?

• Bed: beside the waistline, as close as bedding allows. Keep the pole-to-mattress gap under 2.375 in (60 mm) or over 12 in (305 mm). Point the rail away from the bed when idle.
• Toilet or chair: 3 to 10 in (76 to 254 mm) in front of the knees and 2 to 6 in (51 to 152 mm) to the side, when seated.
• Bathtub: base against the outside of the tub, about halfway along.

What does it work with, and what are its limits?

• Not in a shower or outdoors: carbon steel with a water-resistant, not waterproof, coat; it can rust.
• Warranty: limited lifetime to the original purchaser, on materials and workmanship. Misuse, accidents, alterations, wear and corrosive cleaners are excluded.

How does it compare?

• Advantage Pole: floor-mounted, with no rail.
• SuperPole with SuperBar: held between floor and ceiling, no drilling.
• Grab bars and all super poles and transfer rails.

Funding, delivery and service

Funding may help: see who may help pay. We can install the rail; ask about installation when you order. See warranty services. We deliver across Toronto and the GTA.