As a result of the pandemic, nursing homes face severe staff shortages. The nursing staff is at higher risk of contracting COVID or they are afraid to go to work. Those left to care for patients are faced with increased pressure to invoke psychiatric problems to evict less lucrative patients. Facilities can receive an extra $1,000 daily by evicting patients who require significant staff attention. Although facilities must give 30 days notice and develop a transfer plan, nursing homes frequently flout these rules.
Although they lack the training or equipment to provide proper care, with no other alternative, the families of some evicted patients are forced to become caregivers. This includes repositioning the patient for the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers. Often caregivers are elderly and lack the physical strength to reposition the patient. This can lead to injuries of both the patient and caregiver. To help caregivers prevent the incidence of a pressure ulcer or treat an existing tissue injury, there are unique support surface adapted for use at home.
Today there are home systems that provide the same alternating pressure therapy found in the hospital or nursing facility setting. There is equipment such as an alternating pressure cushion that fits home recliners or lift chairs or an alternating pressure low air loss mattress that measures and automatically adjusts to the patient. Both of these hospital-grade systems allow caregivers to safely help prevent and treat bed sores at home.
Adapt Pro Elite alternating pressure low air loss mattress system by Blue Chip Medical, is a unique hospital mattress that features PST, Patient Sensing Technology. PST allows the mattress to sense patients' pressures and sense their position to automatically adjust to provide the patient comfort and proper care. This reduces the need for patient repositioning and removes the guesswork, allowing caregivers to provide top-quality care at home.
Developed by Purely Comfort LLC, the Alternating Pressure Recliner Overlay converts a home recliner or lift chairs into a therapeutic surface to improve comfort, prevent and treat pressure ulcers and reduce the need to reposition the patient. These systems are built for 24/7 use to allow patients to sleep in their recliners.
The pandemic has supercharged the illegal practice of abruptly discharging patients for facility profit. With more patients forced out of facilities and family members forced into becoming healthcare providers at home, there are affordable solutions that help, even first-time caregivers, to keep their loved ones healthy and safe at home.