A group of students from Singapore claim to have made the world’s first bed aimed specifically at reducing bedsores.
The third-year students at Singapore Polytechnic came up with the innovative new system while working on their final year engineering project. The bed is currently on display at the polytechnic’s engineering show.
It works by regulating its own temperature to reduce sweating which is a major cause of bedsores due to the presence of moisture on the skin. The bed is fitted with a sensor to detect the occupant’s body temperature and maintain a constant temperature of 25 degrees centigrade. A number of other sensors are also present to alert nurses or carers that the patient needs turning or if they have fallen off the bed.
Bedsores are a problem in Singapore because of the humid tropical climate and around 17.2% of cases often go unnoticed leading to serious discomfort in elderly patients.
So far, two of the revolutionary new beds have been successfully tested at the Bethany Methodist Nursing Home in the country. They have had a 100 percent detection rate for patients falling off their beds according to Dr Jaichandar K S, a senior lecturer at the polytechnic.
The bed has not yet been released on commercial sale but estimates place its value at around 1,000 Singapore dollars. Plans are in place for the bed to become commercially available by 2016 for hospitals and nursing homes in the country before moving to the international market.
Stewart Tai, one of the industry panellists and facility innovation manager at Khoo Teck Puat hospital said: “In our hot and humid environment, the patients may sweat a lot. Because of the moisture from the sweat, and if they have difficulties moving, they are at a high risk of getting bedsores. So I think this system could be used in the future as it’s what we’ve been looking for.”
In the UK bedsores and pressure sores are a growing problem as the population is getting older and care budgets have been cut over the last decade. NHS figures have revealed the number of compensation cases and amounts patients receive have increased recently with average pay outs around £32,000 in 2014. Several NHS trusts across the country have reported a huge rise in incidents of bedsores among elderly patients with one showing an increase of 600% over the last 12 months.
Bedsores are common in Great Britain among the over 65s who spend more time in hospital and are more likely to have difficulty moving themselves in bed, and others need help with washing and dressing which, if not done correctly, can make developing bedsores more likely. In extreme cases, bedsores can lead to fatalities.
There are no indications yet as to whether the new Singapore-developed bed will be available in the UK.
Bed sores are a form of clinical negligence so if you or your loved one has suffered, you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation. To discuss your legal options, please call us on 0800 999 1875 or contact us through our website here. For more information, please visit our specialist website www.medicalnegligence-solicitors.com