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Hospital and Long Term Care Mattress (Support Surface) Life Span Testing
While no standard exists for the performance of mattress life over time, there has not been a consistent method of measuring bed performance over time. All mattresses have a finite life, determining when the life of the mattress has transitioned into risk for its occupants is now measurable.
- Impact on Patient Recovery -
Several studies have demonstrated that the support surface is a critical element in prevention of pressure ulcers, confirming surface performance on aging mattresses protects patients from pressure related injury.
With CMS policy on funding for patients who experience a “never event” the financial and litigation risk to hospitals utilizing mattresses whose performance life has been exceeded is immense.
Warrantee evaluation between Hospitals and manufacturers and dealers is difficult at best. The ability to provide performance data that demonstrate change since new is critical in filing or evaluating a warrantee claim.
The mattress is subjected to force deflection tests at multiple locations to measure typically loaded with typically unloaded areas of the mattress. As performance degrades the difference increases and effective life of the mattress can be determined.
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