Mattress-turning system could prevent pressure ulcers occurring for those in social care

A White Paper commissioned by Care England has suggested that an innovative mattress-turning system has the potential to prevent pressure ulcers occurring for people in adult social care, while improving their comfort and promoting healing – all while delivering significant cost and resource savings to care providers and the NHS.

The paper, called Preventing Pressure Ulcers: The Role of Automatic Lateral Turning Systems for Innovative Approaches to Pressure Ulcer Prevention in Care Homes examines and summarises a 12-week trial of the Levabo Turn All automatic lateral turning system (ALTS), developed in partnership with Algeos Ltd (UK).

The White Paper says that pressure ulcers are one of the most painful and preventable conditions faced by some of the most vulnerable individuals in adult social care.

Care England, the voice of care, is a registered charity, is the leading representative body for small, medium and large providers in England.

The report stated pressure ulcers affect 700,000 people a year in the UK at a cost to the NHS of £1.4 to £2.1 billion a year.

It added that “the realities of staff shortages, increasing demand, and the need for manual repositioning often place an undue burden on both caregivers and residents,” so residents did not always receive the attention they needed to ease the pain caused by their ulcers.

Furthermore, Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, said “technological solutions like this would not only ease the workload of the caregiver, but it would also offer a more dignified care solution to the individual as well as an improved quality of life”.

The trial took place in three care homes in the UK and involved 24 residents across 12 weeks, addressing manual repositioning for pressure ulcer prevention using the Levabo Turn All solution which is an automatic tilting system (ALTS) that helps prevent and treat pressure ulcers by positioning a person in a 30-degree side position alternating between the right and left side. The system can be used in any healthcare bed with a removable mattress, where it is placed under the mattress.

The trial focused on residents with dementia with multiple and complex comorbidities, and those receiving palliative end-of-life care who are particularly vulnerable to pressure ulcers due to immobility and frailty.

The primary aims were to assess the effectiveness of the system in reducing pressure ulcer incidence, its impact on caregiver workload, resident comfort, and overall cost-effectiveness.

During the trial, the system was successful for residents with both dementia or dementia with challenging behaviours; existing pressure ulcers/vulnerable at-risk skin; limited or no mobility; pressure ulcer prevention and treatment; end of life/palliative care; critical illness and spinal/neurological conditions.

Key findings from the trial included that using ALTS in a care setting has several key benefits, particularly for residents at risk of developing pressure ulcers and those in end-of-life palliative care.

The system was effective in preventing and managing pressure ulcers by automatically repositioning residents, thus reducing prolonged pressure on vulnerable areas, significantly lowering the risk of further breakdown of skin without unnecessarily disrupting residents, leading to improved sleep and quality of care by automating the manual task of turning residents which can be every 4 to 6 hours, day and night requiring two caregivers’ time and effort to reposition. The system freed up caregivers’ time to focus on other critical tasks and areas of care – often up to two hours a day per person.

The White Paper also found that use of the system delivered cost savings in preventing the occurrence of pressure ulcers and the need to treat them.

In addition, residents using ALTS generally showed fewer signs of discomfort or agitation during repositioning, an important factor for those with dementia.  The report stated for residents in palliative care, ALTS provided a gentler, less invasive approach to repositioning, supporting their comfort and dignity during end-of-life care.

One of the homes taking part in the trial, the Taylor and Taylor group, said that each caregiver would save two hours a day through not having to manually turn an individual during a 24-hour period. Given 11 people needing this facility, that would save 22 hours a week which in monetary terms based on an average salary, equates to circa £1,600 a week and roughly the same cost of one system itself.

Professor Green said: “The trials have shown that a system of this type can in many cases provide big benefits in pain reduction and healing for the individual, while easing the burden of care to the caregiver and doing so at a net saving of cost to the care provider or allowing them time to support other aspects of their care plan”.

“The trial has shown that once again, technology can work hand-in-hand with excellent care provision to offer dignity, pain reduction, and enhanced healing to those most in need of it.”

Beth Mercer, Commercial Manager at Algeos Ltd (UK) said: “The trials have shown exactly what we hoped – that the Levabo Turn All system not only makes life more bearable and dignified for the individual by reducing their risk of pressure damage, pain and discomfort; it eases the workload and burden of repositioning to staff, freeing up time to focus on other aspects of care, and demonstrated time, cost savings, and efficiencies thus providing benefits to caregiver and care receiver alike.”

Click here to download the White Paper