New Compella Bariatric Bed and LikoGuard Lift System Offer a Complete Solution for Bariatric Care Environments

DUBAI, U.A.E., January 22, 2015

Technology, equipment and programs supporting effective care for bariatric patients will be in focus at this year's Arab Health, running 26-29 January in Dubai.  Hill-Rom will showcase two new products designed to provide effective, safe and comfortable bariatric care environments - the Compella bed and the LikoGuard patient lift.

Bariatric patients represent a growing patient population throughout the world, with a third of the population now considered overweight or obese.  In 2013, the highest rates of overweight individuals and obesity were seen in the Middle East and North Africa, where more than 58% of men and 65% of women age 20 or older were found to be either overweight or obese.  More than two-thirds of the countries in the two regions had overweight and obesity rates of over 50% in adult men and women.[1]  Healthcare facilities throughout the regions are responding, adopting best practices and advanced equipment to ensure effective care for bariatric patients.

Research shows that effective hospital design plays a crucial role in bariatric care, with proper equipment and standardized care protocols considered essential in providing the best physical and emotional care for patients.[2] The new Compella bed and LikoGuard patient lift system work together to establish the essential infrastructure required in the patient room, providing support for patient mobility, protection against complications and up-to-the-minute connectivity.

Compella™ Bariatric Bed

A loss of both personal dignity and self-confidence is common among patients, especially those who feel dependent upon others for even basic needs. The Compella™ Bariatric bed promotes patient dignity and self‑sufficiency, by allowing patients to control and perform daily activities independently.

The Compella™ Bariatric bed is the centerpiece of a bariatric care room, with a suite of benefits that were designed to meet patient and caregiver needs. The bed leverages automation technology to help reduce the number of staff needed for tasks such as configuring the bed or transporting patients, becoming a true an extension of the care team.  Among its features:

·         IntelliDrive™ powered transport provides advanced patient transport, with precise turning, automatic acceleration/deceleration on ramps, and intuitive controls that minimize the number of staff needed for patient transport.

·         One button positioning (Powered Width and Length Expansions and Chair position) can help avoid the stress, strain, and discomfort associated with bed adjustment/repositioning for both patients and caregivers. One-touch powered width expansion/retraction (from 101.6cm to 127cm) is a dramatic improvement over beds that require the manual manipulation of the frame and the addition of bolsters. 

·         Sturdy siderails allow for the ability to drive patients with confidence, supporting self or assisted repositioning and patient mobilisation activities. The expanded side rail coverage and low bed positioning capability meets all necessary safety standards. The bed's low height, combined with seat deflate and the ergonomic correct grip points help make it safer for patients to get in and out of bed, reducing the risk of falling.

·         The bed also offers additional features, such as an in-bed scale, integrated connectivity with nurse call and EMR systems and head-of-bed and bed exit alarms designed to improve clinical workflow.

The benefits of the Compella bed, used in conjunction with evidence-based protocols or prevention programs may help prevent falls, ventilator-associated complications, pressure ulcers and caregiver injury.

"We designed Compella to respond to the needs of bariatric patients and caregivers, leveraging advanced technology to create a bed that is an extension of the care team and an environment that promotes health and healing for patients," says Mark Vossenaar, Vice-President of Commercial Development for Hill-Rom International. 

LikoGuard™

The LikoGuard™ lift system (from Liko, the Swedish-based brand of Hill-Rom) is designed to work with Hill-Rom beds to address a critical need for all patients recovering in the hospital: mobility. Specifically the LikoGuard XL works with Compella to address the mobility needs of bariatric patients   Research is clear that early mobility - having patients sit, stand and reposition their bodies - improves outcomes. 3 

Hospitals around the world are adopting mobility protocols in response to that evidence. Patient lift systems are a critical tool for these efforts, offering the ability to move patients even early in the recovery process while protecting caregivers from injury, minimizing the number of caregivers required to implement mobility practices.

The next-generation LikoGuard lift system has been entirely redesigned to set a new standard for patient lifts, making it an essential part of the bariatric care room.  The ceiling-mounted unit offers features designed to lift, transfer and mobilize patients safely for both patients and caregivers, including: 

·         High safe working loads that were extensively and aggressively tested to ensure caregivers can use them with confidence.

·         Redesigned sling bar with SlingGuard™, providing important safety features designed to mitigate the potential for operator error.

·         Hand controls that are easy to use and will track user data, as well as a patented manual emergency stop and lowering mechanism.

·         Updated design, electronics platform, wall-charger and other essential features to make LikoGuard simple to install and use.

"The all-new LikoGuard family is a significant advance in patient lift systems, providing both technological and safety advantages," according to Vossenaar.  "The system helps hospitals make patient care and mobilisation easier and safer than ever before."

Alongside the LikoGuard system, Hill-Rom offers programs that can be easily integrated into caregiver safety and patient mobility protocols.  Simple to implement, these programs provide the structure necessary to leverage equipment and clinical practices that encourage patient mobilisation while protecting caregivers from injury.

On Tuesday, January 27th, Hill-Rom will offer a clinical seminar on bariatric care at both 1100h and 1500h, onsite at Arab Heath in Hall 4, Meeting Room Al-Ain F on the first floor.

The seminar will showcase the importance of patient handling and the need for proper equipment when successfully caring for bariatric patients.  Presenters include Sue Bunnell, a Bariatric Manager at Princeton Baptist Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama (USA), along with Hanneke Knibbe, founder of LOCOmotion Health and Research in the Netherlands.  Both bariatric care experts will share their insight regarding trends, issues and care within the obese and bariatric market, along with representatives from Hill-Rom who will share the latest in marketplace innovations.

Registration for either session of the seminar is free of charge, more information is available at the Hill-Rom booth located in Saeed Hall, Stand S3B30.

-Ends-

ABOUT HILL-ROM
Hill-Rom is a leading global medical technology company with more than 7,000 employees worldwide. We partner with health care providers in more than 100 countries by focusing on patient care solutions that improve clinical and economic outcomes in five core areas: Advancing Mobility, Wound Care and Prevention, Clinical Workflow, Surgical Safety and Efficiency, and Respiratory Health. Around the world, Hill-Rom's people, products, and programs work towards one mission: Enhancing outcomes for patients and their caregivers.

www.hill-rom.com

[1] Ng, M, et al. Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980-2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013.  Lancet. 2014 Aug 30; 384(9945):766-81.  Available at: www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(14)60460-8/abstract

[2] Wignall D. Design as a Critical Tool in Bariatric Patient Care. Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology 2008;2(2):263-267.

3 Morris PE. Moving our critically ill patients: mobility barriers and benefits. Crit Care Clin. 2007;23:1-20.

Morris PE, et al. Early intensive care unit mobility therapy in the treatment of acute respiratory failure. Crit Care Med. 2008;36:2238-2243.

Schweickert WD, et al. Early physical and occupational therapy in mechanically ventilated, critically ill patients: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2009;373:1874-1882.

Winkelman C. Bed rest in health and critical illness: a body systems approach. AACN Adv Crit Care. 2009;20:254-266.

© Press Release 2015