New bed surfaces helping protect skin

It has only been a year since the Kingston hospitals Staff Lottery was launched, but it is already paying off big for our patients. So far, the lottery run by the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation (UHKF) has raised $42,000 for patient care equipment here at Kingston General Hospital. Of that total, $30,000 has recently been used to purchase six specialty bed surfaces.

The specialty bed surfaces look quite a bit different than the typical mattress on a patient bed. Most notably, they have a blower at the foot of the bed that fills the top layer of the mattress with air. The air provides a softer surface for patients who are at high risk of skin breakdown from pressure ulcers, which are more commonly known as bed sores.

“These bed surfaces are incredibly important for patients who are at risk, such as the elderly, or people who are bedridden or have poor circulation,” says Susan Lambert, Program Manager of Kidd 4/Davies 5/Medicine Clinics. “Skin is our first line of defense against infection. By preventing skin breakdown, these surfaces may help our patients avoid the formation of pressure ulcers which can result in longer stays in the hospital.”

The six specialty bed surfaces are part of a larger order of 25. Previously, the hospital owned three of these surfaces and had to rent any others that were required by patients.

“Patients will now have quicker access to these specialty bed surfaces. Instead of renting them and waiting for them to arrive from Toronto, we will now have an adequate number of bed surfaces in the hospital at all times,” says Lambert. “It will also benefit KGH by saving us $115,000 in operational efficiencies. It’s a real win-win situation for our patients and the hospital.”

Recently, KGH staff did a scan across the hospital to determine how many patients had skin breakdown.

“It showed that there is a demand for these specialty bed surfaces at KGH and eliminating all preventable harm to our patients, such as pressure ulcers, is a priority for us in meeting our strategic goals,” says Lambert.

Meanwhile, the Staff Lottery that helped buy some of these new bed surfaces celebrates its official one-year anniversary on April 10, 2014. The lottery is open to all employees, physicians, associated staff and registered volunteers at Kingston’s hospitals. Every two weeks, a $1,000 cheque is presented to a winner whose name is selected in a draw. Several times a year, special draws are also held for $5,000.