Therapy mattresses

Better sleep for therapy patients

Just turn off the light, close your eyes and fall into the arms of Morpheus. Wake up the next morning, well rested, and start the day filled with vigour. The ideal conception of healthy sleep. But what about all those who cannot have that? What about people who are sick, have a disability or cannot fall asleep as readily and sleep through the night as easily any more due to age?

The well-being of people is one of the most important prerequisites for healing and staying healthy. With the knowledge of how sleep and regeneration are related, and their effects on the healing process, care experts are gaining important new information that is incorporated in the development of therapy mattresses. Some systems are built on basal stimulation (promoting and improving sensory perception, body orientation and the ability to communicate). Therapy mattresses with micro-stimulation are an example (MiS).

Micro-stimulation: Small cause – large effect

Underneath the mattress, there is a kind of slatted frame with gently rocking butterfly springs. The butterfly springs generate stimulating counter-impulses in response to the sleeper’s breathing and small movements. These are fine motor stimuli that supply important signals to the brain via the nerve tracts. The brain constructs a three-dimensional model from these signals – our body image. Without these signals, there is “radio silence”. The brain forgets how to communicate with the body and is no longer able to control movement correctly. Micro-stimulation promotes self-movement during sleep, maintaining physical mobility and mental agility. It can prevent pain and support healing processes. The sleeper is better able to perceive their own body. This forms the basis for restful sleep, especially for people with movement restrictions due to age or illness.

Various clinical pictures – what matters?

Therapy mattresses can be tailored to specific clinical pictures with different spring versions.

The slight movement impulses generated by MiS micro stimulation ensure that there is a constant alteration of pressure. For bedridden patients, a mattress such as ThevoautoActiv is used for the prophylaxis and therapy of decubitus (bedsores). The special spring system of the movement bed clearly enhances the patient's own movements. The ThevoSoft and ThevoCare mattresses are also used to prevent decubitus in patient care.

About 70% of dementia patients suffer from huge sleeping problems, resulting in restless, sleepless nights that demand a great deal of nursing care and support. These sleeping problems arise because the patients are simply no longer able to feel their bodies. Dementia patients in particular therefore need a firm spring base to enhance their bodily perception, giving them a better awareness of their own bodies with a continuous feedback throughout the night. Products such as ThevoVital provide a gentle movement that stimulates bodily perception in dementia patients, helping to reduce anxiety and fostering recuperative sleep. The result consists in a direct relief of the burden on carers and family members.

Reduced mobility in people suffering from Parkinson's leads to sleeplessness and tension. Parkinson's patients in particular therefore need a very firm spring base to enhance their bodily perception, giving them a better awareness of their own bodies with continuous feedback throughout the night. Furthermore, the very firm spring system must give a stable sensation when lying in the bed, and make it easier for the patient to sit up and to change position when sleeping. The MiS micro stimulation generated by the mattress ThevoCalm helps the muscles to relax.

People with chronic pain (e.g. arthritis, osteoporosis or cancer) often find it painful to lie in bed. These patients especially need to be given relief in those parts of the body that are sensitive to pressure, while ensuring optimum positioning of the spine at the same time. The mattress ThevoRelief offers a very soft lying sensation; it helps to relieve pain while also giving the body ergonomic support. The wing springs adapt to the body contours, thus providing relief for painful parts of the body.

Particularly where paraplegics are concerned, the spring base for the upper part of the body must be firm to enhance mobility, while a soft spring base is needed for the lower part of the body, in order to act as pressure relief. The mattress ThevoFlex ideally fulfils the demands for spring zones with differing degrees of firmness (soft for the lower body, firm for the upper body). Additional requirements include the need for a very firm edge to the bed to make it easier for wheelchair users to transfer to the bed by providing the necessary strength and stability.

Individually adaptable therapy mattresses are also available for children and adolescents. More information is available here.

Tip: Digital support for all caregivers

In addition to back-friendly therapy mattresses, apps with an alarm function in combination with a smart mattress topper can support caregivers in caring for their relatives, for example with the care cockpit ThevoSmart.

The app immediately notifies the caregiver in case of wetness or body fluids in the bed or if the patient has been out of bed for too long. Independent movements in bed are also recognised and the app thus supports the positioning intervals.

Checklist

Naturally the bed should be adapted to the body size of the respective user.
For the therapy patient, it is important that the bed where they spend most of their life above all makes them feel safe and secure. However, what is known as profile adjustment is also crucial. In other words: The body of the therapy patient, lying on their back or side, has to be positioned according to their body shape and weight. This includes pressure relief in the area of the shoulders and upper arm, and additional support or relief in specific zones such as the pelvis and heel areas.
People turn over or move around up to 60 times a night. These values may change depending on the state of health. Movement is important for the regeneration of the intervertebral discs. Therapy mattresses should therefore enable and ideally support this important night-time movement.
The mattress construction, material and covers have to be comfortable for the user. Even temperature distribution on the surface of the mattress is important. Favourable climate properties permit the optimal transportation of moisture. Not only does that improve hygiene, it also prevents chills and the associated muscle tension.
For the bed covers, special solutions have to be available for people with allergies, rheumatism and incontinence. The mattress should be lightweight, easy to handle and easy to clean.

Minimum requirements

Individually adapted to each particular body
Different sizes possible to take account of weight and size
Pressure relief for the shoulders and upper arms, and for prominent parts of the body (e.g. ankles, head, shoulder blades, elbows, the large protuberances and the sacral region)
Supporting and enhancing movement processes
Supporting body metabolism
Mattress transfers the effect of the spring base without any losses
Satisfaction of the subjective lying needs (well-being, mattress selection)
Uniform distribution of temperature on the surface
Optimum moisture transport
Favourable climate properties
Special solutions for those suffering from allergies and rheumatism, and for incontinent patients
Easy to handle and clean

Special requirements for ...

Decubitus: Movement impulses for stimulation of own movements, in case of threatening or obvious pressure ulcers
Dementia: firm spring base
Parkinson's: very firm spring base
Patients suffering from chronic pain: very soft spring base
Paraplegics: firm spring base for the upper body, soft spring base for the lower body, together with extremely firm edge of the bed

Also appropriate (depending on the care bed)

Head adjustment
Possibility of positioning the body at a slant
Ergonomic adjustment functions (graduated bed, sitting in bed)
Standing up aid

Products in this sector with the AGR seal of approval

Manufacturer

Thomas Hilfen für Körperbehinderte GmbH & Co. Medico KG
Walkmühlenstr. 1
27432 Bremervörde
GERMANY
Phone +49 4761/88 60
Fax +49 4761/88 61 9
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.thomashilfen.com