What is the Importance of Bed Servicing in Care Homes?

The population of UK care homes is over 400,000, with around 85% of patients living in residential settings. With this in mind, beds and mattresses are used daily within care facilities and are essential for the health and comfort of residents and carers.

Although bed maintenance is often overlooked by care operators, it continues to play a leading role in the safety of everyone within the facility.

Here, we explore the importance of bed maintenance and the different components to look out for when carrying out risk assessments.

What Types of Beds are in Care Homes?

There are various bed types and mattresses on the market that are specifically designed for care home environments. From profiling beds to pressure alternating mattresses, care homes should offer the correct sleeping arrangement to benefit the residents.

Profiling beds are among the most commonly found beds in care homes; their design contributes towards the comfort, quality of life and recovery of patients. Helping to support the neck, head, back, and hips, the mattress is made of different sections to independently reposition residents using motor-driven mechanisms. Due to the automated turning and tilting, the profiling beds also aid carers by reducing the risks of manual handling related injuries.

Why Should Beds Be Serviced?

Beds and mattresses are crucial pieces of equipment within care homes and should be regularly maintained and serviced to ensure they are serving the residents and carers correctly.

Adhere to Compliance

There are vital pieces of legislation that govern the maintenance of beds within care environments, including the Provision of Use and Work Equipment Regulation (PUWER) and the UK Medical Devices Regulations.

Both regulations state that equipment provided at work must be “safe for use, maintained in a safe condition and inspected regularly to ensure someone correctly installed it and it does not subsequently deteriorate”.

Reduce Resident Risk

The healthcare sector uses aids such as safety rails to protect vulnerable people from the risk of falling out of bed. However, if these devices are not maintained correctly, they can cause patients to become trapped and induce serious harm.

Having beds regularly serviced by qualified individuals allows care home operators to ensure the equipment complies with the BS EN Dimensional Requirements. However, it is also essential for workers to carry out regular risk assessments on beds and accessories to prioritise the health and wellbeing of the residents.

What Is the Process of Servicing Beds in Care Homes?

Each bed should be serviced and maintained according to the manufacturer's recommendations in the user manual.

During the service, the engineer should check the general condition of the bed, frame and all pivot points including the head and footboard. Any mechanical faults should be assessed along with fixing away any loose wires and cables. If applicable, the break functions should also be tested.

How Often Should Beds Be Serviced?

It is recommended that beds and mattresses are serviced by a qualified engineer at least every 12 months. Safety critical parts which could cause the equipment to fail should have a formal system of planned preventative maintenance to ensure that they are returned back to HSE standards.

At Andway, we offer service and inspections on all beds and mattresses. Our experienced engineers are here to ensure that your care home equipment meets PUWER standards while helping to save you money on emergency repairs.

For more information or to enquire about our maintenance services, contact us today!

Best Practice for moving and handling

Moving & handling is a key part of the working day for most care staff from moving  equipment, laundry, catering, supplies or waste to assisting residents.

 Poor moving and handling practice can lead to back pain and musculoskeletal disorders, which can lead to inability to work

- moving and handling accidents – which can injure both the             person being moved and the employee

- discomfort and a lack of dignity for the person being moved

- All care homes are responsible for putting the right measures,         equipment and training in place to prevent or minimise the risk of     injury.

Patient-centred care plans

No-one should routinely manually lift patients. Hoists, sliding aids, electric profiling beds and other specialised equipment are substitutes for manual lifting. Patient manual handling should only continue in cases which do not involve lifting most or all of a patient's weight. This rules out for example, the shoulder or Australian lift. Patients often have complex and varying needs. The Health and Safety Executive advise a balanced approach to managing the risks from patient handling. These include:

Equally, care workers are not required to perform tasks that put them and their clients at risk

A client's personal wishes on mobility need to be respected wherever possible

A client's independence and autonomy must supported as fully as possible.

A patient-centred care plan should include information on immobility and detail any handling risks and/or needs

Care environments are governed by the following legislation and helpful for assessing moving and handling risks:

·         Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA)

·         Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (MHOR) (as amended 2002)

·         Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

·         Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)

·         Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER)

Legally, employers are obliged to provide a safe working environment for their staff. Under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (as amended) employers are required to:

·         assess the risk of a back injury at work

·         reduce the risk of injury to the lowest level reasonably practicable

·         provide training for staff on safe manual handling practices

·         supervise staff to ensure compliance with the regulations.

Risk assessments could be generic and individual.  A generic risk assessment would consider the needs of the workplace/environment e.g. the equipment needed, safe staffing levels, emergency procedures and the suitability of the physical environment.  Individual risk assessments consider the specific moving and handling needs (e.g. help needed, specific equipment needs and number of staff needed to support the patient) to ensure the safety of staff and the patient/service user.

There is a requirement for a ‘competent person’ to conduct risk assessments. Competency is a mixture of skills, knowledge and qualifications to carry out the role.

For further details please see

http://www.hse.gov.uk/healthservices/moving-handling.htm

https://www.rcn.org.uk/get-help/rcn-advice/moving-and-handling