Safety, quality, and compliance. These are three vital factors when choosing a healthcare mattress supplier. Your supplier should have all three of these factors at the very heart of everything that it does. The best mattress supplier companies are those that have a rich history of providing a wide range of medical and clinical healthcare settings with medical mattresses and other medical fabrics that make a genuine difference to patient care. Finding the right mattress helps to bring a higher level of comfort to patients, can shorten a stay in hospital through faster recovery, and offers compliance with a range of regulations.
There are two components to consider as the person responsible for procuring medical mattresses; what type of medical mattress your healthcare location requires, and then how to find the right mattress manufacturer to meet your specific needs.
What to look out for in a healthcare mattress
Let’s first look at what you are searching for in a healthcare mattress. Of course, each medical institution will have different types of patients and different requirements, so factor in the following:
- Patient size and weight – your medical mattress provision must cover a range of patient weights and sizes comfortable. Most mattresses come in a standard length, although you can request longer mattresses. Understanding the weight of a patient will help to choose the right level of medical grade foam for greater comfort.
- Hygiene – if the healthcare mattress is to be used primarily by patients with continence issues, or the spillage of liquids, a medical mattress that has anti-microbial covers is needed to prevent damage.
- Length of use – do most patients use the bed and mattress over a short period of time for a single night or two, or is it for long-term patients or residents in a care home? Recovery or long-term comfort will help you determine what type of medical mattress is best.
- Movement and mobility – is the patient likely to fall out of bed easily? Are there mobility issues, or is the patient up and out of bed regularly? Patients who are in bed for longer periods of time require more support in terms of pressure sores and ulcers, which will change the approach for the type of mattress. Anti-slip fabric will also support the prevention of slipping out of bed, which can cause injuries.
How to choose the best medical mattress supplier
Once you understand what type of medical mattress, or a combination of different mattresses, that you require for your medical premises, the next step is to speak with a mattress manufacturer to become your supplier. A robust supplier will help you to improve the treatment of patients in a clinical setting.
This process often forms part of a broader medical fitout, where mattresses, beds, furniture, and clinical spaces are planned together to meet safety, compliance, and patient-care standards
Consider the technologies and materials that are on offer, such as mattresses that have fluid resistance, anti-microbial properties, and anti-slip properties. It’s also important to consider compliance and regulation, including fire and safety standards (which are strict within healthcare locations), infection control, and other clinical-specific situations. Research customer reviews and find out if the supplier has a good track record within the healthcare sector. This will all help to paint a picture of trust that you can work well with the supplier.
It isn’t just about meeting regulatory standards and compliance. Better comfort in healthcare mattresses will lead to better patient care, helping patients to feel more comfortable and well-rested, and in turn improving patient mobility to improve fitness and shorten hospital stays. Choosing the correct mattress manufacturer for your specific healthcare location will bring stability over a long period of time. This can only be a good thing, delivering a consistent standard of comfort and regulatory standards to improve patient care. Looking at the quality of a brand, the customer reviews, and the technology and products on offer all point towards the service you can expect to receive. It’s an important choice, so you want to get it right.
