Our Client
The head of Bariatric Care at Derby Community Trust contacted us after reading an email we had sent out about some of our innovations in bariatric seating. The Trust has a dozen hospitals across Derbyshire with a mix of acute and community settings. An appointment was booked for one of our NHS Partnership Managers to meet the senior care team, show them our bariatric seating range and find out what was needed.
The Challenge
The feedback we received from the initial demonstration was very positive. The challenge we were presented with was to supply comfortable and adjustable seating for their plus-sized patients to relieve bed spaces and improve one-to-one care. We also needed to be able to deliver within the 30-day funding window they had been allocated.
The Background
The hospital lacked suitable seating for plus-sized patients. The portering chairs they were using lacked adequate padding and support, making them very uncomfortable. As a result, patients were confined to their beds for long periods of time, putting them at increased risk of pressure sores, slowing rehabilitation, extending discharge times and occupying bed spaces that were in high demand due to the surge in Covid patients.
The Solution
The solution we piloted for the Derby Trust was to provide a combination of two sizes, the Bariatric and the Mediatric. The Bariatric version is built for clients up to 50 stone so is a super-sized chair, with seat width adjustable up to 32 inches at its widest setting.
The Mediatric is a step-down from the bariatric model with a 40 stone weight limit. This version would cover a broader distribution of clients on the ward, with the heftier bariatric version reserved for higher-need patients. Like all the chairs in the Lento range, they are Made in Britain to a high-quality standard, and all size adjustments can be made quickly and easily without using any tools.
The Result
The combination of the bariatric and mediatric versions was an instant success with the Derby Trust. We have since been told that the mediatric chair has hit the ‘sweet spot’ in the market, which is high praise indeed!
The success of the solution we formulated for the Derby Trust can be evidenced by the following outcomes. Firstly, in terms of patient care, the removeable arms and vertical rise facility provided easier side transfers and better delivery of personal care. The superior levels of comfort in the chair vastly improved patient satisfaction and helped them to rehabilitate quicker.
This improvement in patient recovery times helped speed up hospital discharges and deliver the wider benefit of reducing pressure on bed numbers caused by the influx of Covid patients. We delivered within the critical time window for the Trust and were able to provide training at each location to maximise the benefits for all involved in patient care.
These are some of the key benefits reported by the Trust after completion of the project:
“Time saved on chasing information”
“Staff have access to appropriate chair for patient as soon as they arrive on the ward”
“Easy to tailor the chair to the patients’ individual needs”
“Robust construction for easy cleaning and durability”
“Very high-pressure relief in seat and leg rest reduces the risk of skin damage”
