Cover story – advertising feature
Independence, safety, and security: the profiling bed vision
Rob Scovell, digital marketing manager at Renray Healthcare, explains why a profiling bed is essential for people who need additional support when spending extended periods of time in bed
At Renray Healthcare, we understand how essential a profiling bed is for people who require additional support when re-positioning or spending extended periods of time in bed. Most profiling beds are electric and height adjustable and are used in care homes, domestic homes, and hospitals. However, aesthetically they need not be drab, dull, or particularly clinical in appearance. Because the backrest and leg section can be adjusted to a sitting position by the user, residents are provided more comfortable positioning. Engaging the contour option will activate the leg and backrest movement at the same time to enable better positioning and reduce the risk of pressure, shear, and friction. The lower foot section can be raised or lowered enabling better comfort and positional therapy for hydration, nutrition, and social interaction.
What is the purpose of profiling beds? Profiling beds are designed to improve independence, comfort, and support for residents, increasing mobility while in bed
and assisting transfers and egress from bed safely.
The backrest function helps postural support and improve respiratory function. Raising the legs can reduce fluid buildup, and lowering the foot section can reduce the risk of pressure ulcers (bed sores) by off-loading the heels. The bed also tilts – the most common tilt function is anti- Trendelenburg or ‘foot down tilt’ which offers gastrointestinal and circulatory benefits, increased lung function, and pressure relief, as well as providing a more natural sitting position. A profiling bed is used together with a pressure reducing foam or active mattress. A foam mattress will provide pressure redistribution for the user and reduce the risk of skin damage or pressure ulcers. All mattresses should conform to the bed shape even when profiled.
Non-foam mattresses such as Renray’s Noodles mattress have an improved micro-climate which reduces humidity and temperature, reducing moisture and potential skin damage. The Noodles
the prof iling bed vision Stairlifts and home lifts: time to raise your game Successfully challenging a CQC rating
Volume 9 Issue 2 February 2024
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com
Independence, safety, and security:
mattress is a completely recyclable and washable solution. Active systems known as dynamic mattresses or air mattresses are used for users who are at a higher risk of pressure damage to the skin, they are powered by pumps that use airflow in cells to reduce pressure at the interface between patient and mattress platform. Height adjustable profiling beds have a
variable height range, enabling the bed to be raised or lowered easily with one button, allowing the user to get into or out of bed safely, and helping the carer carry out their duties at the best height for them.
Compliance The Medical Bed Standard 60601-2-52 is in place for the protection of users and carers, as a design framework for manufacturers, and, increasingly, as a guide to external bodies such as the CQC and the Health and Safety Executive.
The challenge for care homes is making sure the combination of profiling bed, mattress, and side rails is safe and adheres to the standard, which can be a challenge, as beds and side rails are often purchased separately to mattresses. It is always best practice to go to a one-stop-shop such as ourselves. Renray manufactures beds, mattresses, and side rails, and our knowledge of side rail heights, entrapment issues, mattress / bed combinations, and providing the highest levels of care while remaining compliant with the standard, is second to none. Bed manufacturers are allowed to self- certify their adherence to this standard and
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www.thecarehomeenvironment.com February 2024
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