Unicare helps allied health partners understand the true value of support surfaces for pressure care
Workshop: Support Surface Selection for Pressure Care
-Demystifying bed and mattress choice for pressure injury care
Technology Park Function Centre, Bentley
Thursday, 27 July 2023
The world of support surfaces is constantly evolving. As we learn more about the prevention and management of pressure injuries, prescribing sleep support surfaces can seem daunting with so many available options.
This workshop was designed to empower attendees with the knowledge to make informed decisions when prescribing nursing care beds and mattresses for pressure care, by answering questions like:
- What is the difference between an unknown and an unstageable pressure injury?
- What intrinsic and extrinsic factors lead to the development of a pressure injury?
- How does the number of air cells in an alternating air mattress affect pressure injury treatment?
- When is an alternating air mattress the best option for treating pressure injuries?
- What effect does the quality of materials used in the manufacture of a pressure care mattress have on pressure injury care?
- How can we #stopthepressure?
These questions and more paved the way for a dynamic and engaging training session.
This workshop was facilitated by Unicare Health’s training team.
Unicare’s occupational therapist and clinical educator, Annette Terranova, took the stage first.
Annette has over 35 years of industry experience and a wealth of knowledge that she upholds by participating and speaking at National and International Conferences.
What is the role of a support surface?
Annette reviewed pressure care aetiology and discussed recommendations from the International guidelines for the prevention and treatment of pressure injuries.
A support surface reduces pressure injury risk by redistributing pressure through immersion, envelopment, and offloading techniques.
She also discussed friction and shear as contributors, as well as how research has aided in the understanding of microclimate in the prevention and management of pressure injuries.
She highlighted key features of pressure care mattresses and explained how and why they were significant.
To fully understand why support surfaces are necessary for pressure injury prevention, Annette delved into the science of a pressure wound.
She explained how they develop, where they are prone to occur, and most importantly, why even top-of-the range support surfaces cannot prevent every pressure injury.
“Support surfaces alone cannot prevent or heal pressure injuries, but are a key part of an overall care plan. Selection should depend on the individual’s specific needs, along with a good repositioning and healthcare regime.”
Where is the pressure injury?
How did it develop?
“It is imperative that you investigate every detail of your client’s daily routine. Did your client suffer a pressure injury as a result of sitting in her wheelchair? or was it caused by improper transfer techniques? Does she sit on a shower commode for prolonged periods? Or has she been shearing down the bed?”
She emphasised the significance of individualised care. Incontinence, environment, and even personal preference should all be considered when determining what is the optimal support surface for pressure care.
Annette then invited Ilissa to deep dive into Unicare’s bed and mattress range.
Ilissa Liew, Unicare’s occupational therapist and sleep support surface focused educator, was our second speaker of the day.
With 15 years of industry experience and a passion for pressure care and sleep positioning solutions, Ilissa is a skilled educator and prescriber of electric profiling beds, therapeutic mattresses, and sleep positioning devices.
Ilissa introduced Care of Sweden’s latest CuroCell A4 and IQ mattress pumps.
She explained how these pumps leverage cutting-edge technology to address the challenges of complex caregiver setup, manual handling tasks and user error.
She explained the differences between pulsating and alternating modes and spoke about user experiences with these technologies.
This led to the discussion on the multitude of mattresses available on the market for pressure care.
From foam to air to alternating air and hybrid mattresses, each of these support surfaces hold a place in providing clients with the necessary pressure care.
Attendees were encouraged to observe the material composition of foam mattresses, like the anti-shearing properties of the Optimal 5zon by Care of Sweden and the immersive heat-activated gel-infused Ansa Alova Monoblock.
When exploring air mattresses, Ilissa stripped back the covers of the Care of Sweden CuroCell A4 CX20 and discussed the material physics of individual cells, how they inflate and deflate on different modes, and more.
Other mattresses, like the CuroCell Uno, were there on the day for therapists to investigate. The CuroCell Uno is an air mattress with a battery back-up, making this option ideal for locations with unreliable power sources. This mattress system also features a digital healthcare charting system and built in user manual.
Ilissa also discussed mattress covers, emphasising the advantages of features like welded seams, evacuation handles, and cord organisers. She also explained why the mattress cover is white on the inside and why double-covering a mattress is sometimes necessary.
In the morning tea break that followed, attendees had an opportunity to chat one-on-one with our sleep support surface pros and share their thoughts with fellow therapists.
Following the break, we discussed Unicare’s electric profiling bed range, focusing on the clinical aspects of Unicare’s Xcel 2 and Xcel Floorline.
“A mattress alone isn’t enough to combat certain pressure injuries. Repositioning techniques are also important. Use the functions of the bed to help you.”
The Xcel 2 is a great option for clients who are seeking a standard hi-lo bed at an economical price and a user-friendly handset for those with limited cognitive abilities.
The slightly more feature-packed Xcel Floorline is a transfer-friendly hi-lo bed that offers more configurable options. The sleep surface can be lowered to the floor and features endless positioning capabilities.
“Use the seat function to prevent shearing down the bed.”
Attendees were then invited to apply their knowledge from the day’s workshop to a theoretical case study.
It was great fun collaborating with fellow therapists and discussing suggestions for the optimal bed and mattress based on case studies provided (with some of our sneakiest attendees sharing ideas across groups 🤭).
Thank you
Unicare Health would like to thank everyone who joined us at our Support Surface Selection for Pressure Care Workshop.
We unicare about providing therapists with a welcoming space to learn and collaborate in an engaging and interactive manner.
By sharing knowledge and real-life examples of pressure injuries that could have been avoided by early intervention, we build towards an empowered world where we can #stopthepressure. Awareness is key.
