Amanda Ashton
Manager at Paisley Court, Care UK
We are currently having issues with the airflow mattresses as our residents are still getting pressure ulcers from them.
George is one of our residents and is very contracted. He only sleeps on his right side and doesn’t like to be turned therefore the Series5 was music to our ears. This mattress has automatic offloading capability and the only solution to offload pressure effectively for George. The two week trial meant that we could reduce our checks from every two hours to every four hours which has provided more care time for the staff.
In addition – we have a lot of dementia patients who are mobile and walk into residents’ rooms and turn pumps off and change the settings consistently. This is a real nightmare for us and wastes a lot of time continually checking the pumps throughout the day. This has the added risk of CQC rating downgrade as it is a serious reduction in comfort for the resident if their mattress bottoms out and higher risk of pressure-ulcers forming from lying on the bedframe. So when we heard about the Series2 pumpless mattress (for very high risk and treats category 1 and 2 pressure ulcers) this was an answer to key challenges we currently face and spend a lot of wasted time on. The Series2 is also half the cost of an airflow mattress – which would represent significant savings for Care UK.
The Series2 is very different from what we currently have access to because it has some very valuable features. Firstly, it has a heel roll which has proven in reducing redness of the heels and can technically treat up to a category 4 pressure ulcer as it provides an environment of zero pressure.
Secondly, it reduces risks significantly of death caused from a fire as it has a fire evacuation base incorporated into the mattress – as do all the mattresses in the OSKA range. This means that in the event of a fire we can reduce downtime transferring residents from the bed and don’t need to depend on the 1 fire evacuation sled in the home for all 30-40 residents. It also means we don’t need to spend any money on slide sheets.
Another issue we currently face is the approximate 6 week lead time from requesting a mattress to receiving it – but we normally order a mattress when mattress fails, so really need the mattress same or next day to support the resident. OSKA provide a next day delivery service which sounds very attractive as they hold a large amount of stock.
Overall, OSKA seem a great company to work with, with unique products and a fantastic service offering.
George, one of our residents, is very contracted and only sleeps on his right side. He doesn’t like to be turned therefore the Series5 was music to our ears. This mattress has automatic offloading capability so is the only solution to offload pressure effectively for George.
Amanda Ashton, Manager at Paisley Court, Care UK
