You can usually see a therapeutic mattress in the hospitals. This type of mattress is used to cure some illnesses like pressure ulcers, muscle and joint pains and sores. Some of the mattresses can give the nursing needs that the patients need like the rotation of the bed to prevent bedsores. They can also prevent pulmonary complications that the patients can develop due to the long stay in bed. They are designed to cater the needs of the patients that the illnesses require long stay in bed. A therapeutic mattress can be powered or non-powered but both can give therapy to the patients.
Powered mattresses are more common compared to the non-powered mattresses. The powered mattresses have sensors and controls that can automatically work for less nursing work for the caregivers. The sensors usually measure the body weight of the patient and can automatically redistribute the pressure that the body part receives. This usually happens when the patient changed his or her position while in bed. This pressure redistribution ensures that the body part that needs more pressure receives more pressure and the part that needs less pressure receives less pressure. With this, there is a greater tendency that the body will not be in pain even after a long stay in the bed. There are powered mattresses that have heat-releasing zones to cure sore shoulders, lower back, and feet. The mattress can also prevent skin maceration by releasing less air.
Non-powered mattresses work through the foams that are used in the mattress. Usually, the mattresses have different layers to cater the different needs of the patients. The foams are made of high-density material to give real comfort to the patients. They are also durable because they have more open cells compared to those that are made of low-density material. This type of mattress usually have center posture zone that can redistribute the pressure just like the powered mattresses do. Non-powered mattresses usually are for low therapy maintenance but there are mattresses that provide maximum therapy. These mattresses that have maximum therapy have shear management and pressure redistribution.
Some of the mattresses are made of visco-elastic foam top layer. This visco-foam top layer is heat sensitive and becomes more elastic with higher temperature. This is the reason why it can reshape around the body and give comfort to the patient. This eliminates pressure points between the body and the mattress so the patient is like floating while in bed. With this, muscle and joint pains are prevented that can be caused by a long stay in bed.
A therapeutic mattress can really help the patients so it is usually used in hospitals. It is designed to cater the needs of the patients that need to be in bed for a long time but some can also give only low maintenance therapy.
