Medtech

When tilting matters…Turn into a new gold standard of care

While electrically adjustable beds are fundamental equipment for patient rooms, in both acute and long-term care, medical beds with a lateral tilt have a special status. We can state, unfortunately. Because their functionality is dedicated to easing the daily work of nurses and many activities of the daily nursing routine. Thanks to the newly launched Essenza hospital bed, lateral tilt is turning into a new gold standard in acute care that delivers premium ergonomics for caregivers.

Nurses job? Risky!

Did you know, that healthcare and nursing are among the most dangerous professions? In addition to infections and stress, health and care workers are largely affected by disorders of the spine and musculoskeletal system – they suffer from back injuries, blockages, and deformations of the spine, i.e. long-term and difficult-to-treat diseases, often with permanent consequences. Statistics confirmed, 47% of caregivers reported back pain.

Handle gently, use lateral tilt

On a bed with a lateral tilt, the bed surface rotates +/- 15° to the sides. This controlled movement of the bed literally turns the patient from a supine position to a side position. The nurse only holds the patient and provides him with support. Empirical measurement confirmed that the lateral tilt reduces the effort required when turning the patient by 67%. Less demanding patient positioning can be used in a wide range of daily nursing activities, such as positioning patients with pressure injuries, hygiene, skincare, making the bed, or nursing. For ergonomic work, foot pedals are available, thanks to which the nurse has free hands and can fully devote herself to the patient and nursing activities. Support and comfort for the patient will be provided by special pillows, safety is ensured by durable sides, the construction of which is prepared for heavy loads. A great benefit is a lateral tilt in the prevention of pressure injuries, as the staff can position the patient more often with less effort.

Speed up recovery

A separate chapter on the use of lateral tilt is the support of verticalization and mobilization. Early mobilization is supported in combination with other functions of LINET beds, such as the unique mobilization handle, integrated bed height control, and an ergonomic handle on the side rail. By tilting the bed surface, it helps the patient to move away from the bed. Mobilization support may help to prevent an adverse event such as orthostatic hypotension or patient falls and influence the length of hospital stay.

Transfer with care

Another frequent use of lateral tilt is the transfer of immobile patients from a bed to a stretcher. This procedure is rated as demanding and requires a large number of personnel. By using a slight lateral tilt of the bed, or with the support of a slide sheet, this activity can be made significantly easier. 

The use of lateral tilt is universal in both acute and long-term care. LINET has therefore developed several types of beds with lateral tilt. Now the new Essenza 300 bed series is coming to the market, which offers a model with a lateral tilt. In addition, there are beds of the highest category Multicare and Eleganza 5 for intensive care.

Moving&Handling. This works!

Turn a patient onto their side or move and change the bed with zero physical effort. For someone a fantasy from the realm of dreams, for LINET’s team of clinical coaches a set of correctly performed simple actions that practically everyone can handle.

As a magic formula use the Moving&Handling, a term that refers to these practical habits for working with the patient.

Moving&Handling can be learned by anyone who works with a patient in bed. It’s just a matter of doing the individual activities in the right way and experiencing these habits in the nursing routine. Moving&Handling courses are intended for nurses, medical assistants, physiotherapists, paramedics and other staff and are focused on new techniques for working with patients in the field of ergonomics.

In a simple way, you will learn useful rules for higher ergonomics at work, which fundamentally reduce effort, and expenditure of physical strength and are effective prevention against back pain and injuries. We work with specific tasks of the daily nursing routine and everything is based on interactivity and practical training. Contact us directly for a demo or training: mea@linet.com

Learn more about the new Essenza bed: https://www.linet.com/en-AE/products/beds-stretchers-chairs/acute-care/essenza-series?utm_source=Hospitals+PR&utm_medium=print&utm_campaign=Hospitals+May+PR

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