Foam mattresses are the most commonly used style of mattresses you might find in care homes. They are useful as they can adapt to a range of environments and pressure area care properties. But what exactly is a foam mattress and how can it help you ensure the comfort and wellbeing of your residents.
What Is A Foam Mattress?
Foam mattresses are used on profiling beds as they profile as the bed sections move, they are a popular choice in care homes, hospitals and private homes due to their ability to provide pressure relief, support the patient and provide comfort through all bed movements. Foam mattresses can range from a basic foam configuration to an engineered foam with (or without) the addition of visco-elastic memory foam on the top layer for comfort. Most foam mattresses have castellations or cuts in the foam that allow it to bend without affecting the internal construction and offer pressure area care.
Over the years foam mattresses have become more high tech, adding cuts or textured upper surfaces, density of foams, memory foam layers and different mattress covers to increase the amount of residents and patients that can use them with different pressure area care needs, weights and sizes.
This is why the benefits we discuss below have contributed to the growing popularity of foam mattresses, especially for the elderly.
Pressure And Pain Relief
When we sleep or lie down for long periods of time we need to make sure that we are given as much support and pressure relief as possible, traditional mattresses can cause problems for the user, from creating pressure sores to negatively affecting circulation. Foam mattresses on the other hand conform to the user rather than pushing back on them with, for example, springs. This can actually improve the overall health and mood of the sleeper by improving their sleep quality and reducing the risk of inflammation and pressure ulcers.
Additionally, the foam material spreads the weight of the user across the mattress, rather than at specific pressure points. This provides support evenly across the body and so is beneficial to those that are susceptible to back or joint pain by allowing the sleeper to fully relax.
Perfect For Adjustable Beds
In care homes and hospitals, adjustable profiling beds are very common and they require flexible mattresses that can adapt to the movement of the bed. As one of the main benefits of foam mattresses is how flexible they are, this makes them ideal for adjustable beds. Increasing comfort and support for the user.
Easy To Clean And Low Maintenance
Foam mattresses have a 2 way or 4 way stretch mattress cover which are easy to clean or launder, taking care of your mattress cover in turn ensures the foam inner is protected from fluid ingress and wear and tear. The 2 way or 4 way stretch option reduces shear and friction on the residents skin when repositioning, which is important for the elderly or sick who may be more prone to skin pressure damage and infections. Additionally, foam mattresses are some of the lightest and most low maintenance on the market, this makes rotating the mattress easier.
Long Lasting And Durable
Foam mattresses are designed to be long lasting and durable. Depending on the specification, foam is designed to retain its shape and provide support for a number of years; the mattress cover stretches and provides a durable surface if properly cleaned and maintained. This makes them long lasting, which is a very important economic factor for care homes, hospitals and medical centres.
At Renray Healthcare we offer foam mattresses that can withstand loads up to 320kg and can account for low to medium and high risk patients. We also offer waterproof covers on our foam mattresses to make them even easier to maintain. Please view our full range of foam mattresses to find the right one for your needs.
