Colquitt Regional Senior Care & Rehabilitation recently acquired new, state-of-the-art beds for each resident room. The Wissner-Bosserhoff Sentida 7-i bed, also called “the intelligent nursing home bed,” offers a variety of high-tech features and benefits, such as increased resident independence and comfort, reduced risk of caregiver and resident injury, high-tech alerts and analytics, and more.
Traditional beds often require caregivers to lift residents in order to weigh them. The Sentida 7-i’s integrated weighing system allows the caregiver to determine the patient’s weight and BMI at the touch of a button. The resident’s weight chart is saved hourly and can be displayed in intervals of days, weeks, and months. This feature can help with determination of medication dosage and the assessment of lymphatic fluid accumulation in the legs.
The beds are equipped with a comprehensive sensor system that alerts caregivers when the resident becomes mobile. They also have an automatic nightlight on the underside that is switched on when the resident leaves the bed and is turned off as soon as they return to bed.
“These new beds are going to be revolutionary for both our residents and employees at Colquitt Regional Senior Care & Rehabilitation,” said Colquitt Regional CEO and President Jim Matney. “The beds that residents had been sleeping on when we purchased the facility were old and worn. We are excited to bring in brand new beds with features that will greatly improve the safety and stay for all residents at Senior Care. I am proud of the upgrades we have made so far, but the work isn’t finished yet.”
Another feature that will be particularly helpful for residents is the Mobi-Lift arm, which aids with self-mobilization. The Mobi-Lift is attached to the side of the bed and is there for residents to hold onto while getting out of bed. This arm serves as a stabilizer for the resident and greatly reduces the risk of falling.
Each bed is equipped with a Hercules Patient Repositioner device. The repositioner features a specialized sheet which attaches to a drive at the head of each bed. When a resident has slid down in their bed, the caregiver can operate the drive via button, which pulls the sheet up along the bed, repositioning the resident and the sheet simultaneously.
“When we were looking for new beds for Senior Care, we wanted to ensure that we were not only prioritizing the comfort and safety of our residents, but also our employees,” said Colquitt Regional Chief Nursing Officer Dena Zinker, MSN, RN, NE-BC, FACHE. “Before, our care team was having to use a manual crank to adjust the height of the bed and multiple team members were needed to help move residents in the bed. Now, this can all be done with the touch of a button, which will provide caregiver support and reduce the risk of a workplace strain or injury.”
Not only can the resident be repositioned via the Hercules, but the Sentida 7-i can transform itself into two different preset, automatic positions. The “chair seating” position allows the resident to watch tv, eat, read, and communicate at eye level more comfortably. The “legs up” or vascular position, which puts the patient at a 30 degree angle with their feet elevated, promotes decongestion with venous diseases and supports pressure ulcer prevention.
Unlike other standard beds, the Sentida 7-i comes with an air mattress that promotes comfort and keeps the pressure off of the resident’s skin. The mattress is designed to fold when moving into the preset positions which also lends to a more pleasant feeling for the patient than traditional mattresses.
Another benefit is the ability to adjust the height of the bed, which ranges from 10 inches to 31 inches. It has three preset heights designated at 10 inches for fall injury prevention during sleep, 16 inches for safe mobilization at chair height, and at 31 inches for optimal nursing care.
“When we acquired Senior Care, it was our goal to completely elevate the entire space from top to bottom,” said Hospital Authority Chairman Richard E. Turner, Jr. “These beds are only one piece of the transformation this facility has undergone, but they will certainly improve the experience of our residents and staff.”
Since Colquitt Regional acquired the facility in March, hospital administration has worked to repaint the interior of the building, improve lighting, replace and enhance clinical equipment, replace the flooring in all common areas, install new televisions and digital announcement boards, and upgrade the furnishings and décor in each room.
For more information on Colquitt Regional Senior Care & Rehabilitation, please call the Colquitt Regional Marketing Department at 229-890-3552.
