I happened on this website and they have some really cool lifting/assist units that use compressed air and are very lightweight. Kind of pricey but really no worse than the heavy, bulky regular gear.
http://www.mangarusa.com/products.cfm
Remembering my last few falls along with Sal's 911 day, I think I might have to get one of these puppies.
http://www.mangarusa.com/