Prooven effect: Choose a RotoBed® care bed to prevent pressure ulcers
Lisbeth Buhl, Occupational Therapist at the Handicap Institute in Aabenraa, conducted a test of RotoBed®.
We have tested the RotoBed® rotative bed as part of a project. The aim was primarily to discover if the bed could make a patient self-reliant to a degree that the need for assistance to get in and out of bed could be postponed or omitted altogether. We tested the bed with 11 patients who were close to a stage where home care services provided by the municipality would become necessary, and the results turned out very positive.
We wanted to make sure to get exact results. First we visited the patient and made a professional evaluation, COPM, based on the patient’s own assessment. Next, the patient came to the Handicap Institute for a test to ensure that he or she could use the bed’s functions. Just after delivering the bed, we made a follow-up visit at the patient’s home with an additional review of the whole operation, and after 3-4 weeks a third visit for a final evaluation.
Prevent pressure ulcers and fractures
The risk of pressure ulcers is reduced thanks to less twisting and pulling of the skin both at entry and exit, and in trying to find a good body position. This makes it a good bed to prevent pressure ulcers. The bed also prevents falls, and people with osteoporosis have less pain and a lower risk of fractures thanks to fewer manipulations.
It is worth spending some time to ensure that the patient is introduced to the bed and comfortable using it. All the patients in the project have become more self-reliant and are very happy about it. Being able to get up or go to bed by themselves has given both them and their families valuable freedom.
Husband and wife – not patient and helper
The patients involved suffer from chronic diseases such as Parkinson’s and arthritis. They have a limited amount of energy and using it all on getting out of bed would be a shame. Most are elderly, and their spouses often lack the necessary physical strength to help out. With a RotoBed® the couple gets a better opportunity to be husband and wife instead of disabled patient and helper. That way the spouses are also very pleased with the bed.
Pressure ulcers are painfull and common for bedridden patients
Pressure ulcers – also called bed sores or decubitus – arise where the skin is close to the bones and is caused by prolonged pressure against the skin and the tissues just below. Vulnerable areas are shoulders, heels, hips, buttocks, elbows, ankles, back of the head and the lower back, especially the tailbone.
Pressure ulcers can be very painful and require prolonged treatment and care. A healthy person changes position up to 30 times in one night, but paralyzed or weekened people are unable to do so and are likely to develop pressure ulcers if prevention is not initiated. You are more likely to get pressure ulcers if you:
- Use a wheelchair or stay in bed for a long time
- Are an older adult
- Cannot move certain parts of your body without help
- Have a disease that affects blood flow, including diabetes or vascular disease
- Have Alzheimer disease or another condition that affects your mental state
- Have fragile skin
- Cannot control your bladder or bowels
- Do not get enough nutrition
RotoBed® solutions to pressure ulcers
With a rotating bed, the risk of pressure ulcers is reduced thanks to less twisting and pulling of the skin both at entry and exit, and in trying to find a good body position. Furthermore, RotoBed® can be delivered with high quaily foam mattresses with documented protection and treatment of pressure ulcers in all 4 stages.
Who else can benefit from a RotoBed®? See what other users and relatives say about their experiences.
