Anti-decubitus mattresses guide

First of all, I would like to tell you my favorite. The anti-decubitus mattress is suitable for severe cases of decubitus:

What is pressure ulcer?

Pressure ulcer is the medical term for the formation of ulcers.

Many older people suffer from pressure ulcers. It is the result of long or permanent lying in a constant position.

• Continuous pressure in the lying position causes sores on the body and pressure sores to develop.
• Mostly this happens in the body regions around the center of gravity of our body.

The lower back, sacrum, buttocks, hips, and thighs are often affected. Pressure ulcers cause severe pain in patients and are chronic wounds.

Bedridden people therefore have special requirements for a mattress that ordinary mattresses cannot meet.

What are anti-decubitus mattresses?

The idea behind the anti-decubitus mattress is to reduce the maximum contact pressure on the body.

Not only does it sleep more comfortably with reduced pressure, there is also less pressure in the body and thus fewer health problems.

Alternating and gentle pressure on the mattress should have a relaxing effect on the body and stimulate certain fixed points in the back.

Normal mattresses do not provide this high level of comfort and soft surface.

Do i need an anti-decubitus mattress?

Anti-decubitus mattresses are all those types of mattresses that are used against (= anti) medical ulcers (= pressure ulcers).

Anti-decubitus mattresses can be used for two reasons:

• In order to avoid ulcer formation during long periods of lying in bed.
• Or as a therapeutic measure against pressure ulcers.

As a mere addition to the bedroom, I don’t think the mattresses are useful. If you don’t have any health problems, you don’t need an anti-decubitus mattress at home.

• You may be familiar with this mattress category mainly from hospitals and retirement homes.
• Anti-decubitus mattresses are now also used extensively in home care.

The issue of pressure ulcers is a major problem, especially for people with restricted mobility. Physical disabilities can also be the reason, as well as illness, age or status as a need for care.

In order to help you find the most suitable mattress, pressure ulcers are divided into 4 different degrees. In this way you can better cater to your own needs and take the necessary preventive measures.

The 4 degrees of pressure ulcer

A distinction is made between 4 different degrees of pressure ulcer disease. These differ based on the severity of the affected part of the body.

If detailed descriptions of medical diagnoses do not work for you, it is best to skip the chapter. I will spare you pictures at this point.

So be warned that the following chapters may not be appetizing.

Pressure ulcer grade 1

Degree 1 pressure ulcer is the first stage and mildest form of an ulcer. The skin surface is intact, but clearly reddened.

If the affected skin area still remains red after a finger pressure, the pain is relatively moderate and does not go away, then the first degree of pressure ulcer is present.

Pressure ulcer grade 2

In the second degree of pressure ulcer, parts of the skin are already lost.

The physical damage to the pressure point often shows up as a blister, skin abrasion or flat ulcer. There is a weeping skin defect with a high susceptibility to infection.

Pressure ulcer grade 3

The third degree in pressure ulcers describes the destruction and loss of all layers of the skin. This means that the skin structure has already died.

Tissue layers under the skin become visible and impairments can spread to the lying muscle.

Pressure ulcer grade 4

Imagine that in the fourth degree of pressure ulcer there is a loss of all skin layers with developed destruction, tissue necrosis, or damage to muscles and bones.

Tendons or joint capsules can also be irreparably damaged.

I would like to spare you further details. It never hurts to seek advice from a doctor in good time.

The first two pressure ulcer grades, in particular, are often underestimated and ignored before the condition worsens.

With all the types and degrees of severity, it can quickly happen that you lose track of the various products.

I would like to explain the individual shapes to you in more detail so that you can get a rough idea.

Which anti-decubitus mattresses are there?

See anti-decubitus mattresses as an overarching category. This category includes all mattresses that can be used for medical purposes against bed sores.

Within this category there are different types, each with their advantages and disadvantages.

This includes:

• Alternating pressure mattresses
• Visco-elastic mattress pads
• Gelmatratzen
• The glass ball beds

I would like to explain the different mattress classes to you in more detail and recommend a model for each class separately.

Alternating pressure mattresses

Alternating pressure mattresses consist of several air chambers, which are alternately filled with air or deflated. Thus, the body remains in motion a little when lying down.

As a result, there is less pressure and friction on the layers of the skin. This relief reduces the risk of ulcers in long-term bed-ridden patients.

Some alternating pressure mattresses can also be used without an underlying mattress.

The thickness of the lying surface is important for your comfort. The thinner the mattress, the more uncomfortable and cooler it feels in the horizontal lying position.

In the alternating pressure mattress, air is pumped into the air chambers and pumped out. An electric compressor regulates this process according to the desired settings.

The entire cycle between inflating and deflating the air takes no more than 15 minutes.

New models react very flexibly and individually to your body weight.

Benefits:

• Flexible adjustment to your body weight possible
• Medical ulcers regress
• Low weight, easy transport, easy storage and easy assembly and disassembly
• Some alternating pressure mattresses are equipped with an integrated ventilation system

Disadvantage:

• Electricity costs when used
• Certain secondary complaints (impaired perception and circulation, loss of sensation)
• Additional noise level interferes with falling asleep

If you choose an alternating pressure mattress, I recommend the Mobiclinic model.

The mattress is suitable for grade 3 and 4 pressure ulcers. However, there is nothing to be said against its use for all degrees of pressure ulcer.

In terms of price, this model is an expensive investment. Since you can use this mattress for several degrees and it has many good additional functions, it is definitely worth the money.

You can use this alternating pressure mattress directly as a lying surface on the slatted frame of your bed.

The very stable dimensions of the mattress with 200 x 90 x 22 cm ensure a comfortable and ergonomic lying position.

Of course, this also affects the total weight. Both the weight of the alternating pressure mattress is higher than that of comparable mattresses (approx. 10 kg) and the maximum load (210 kg).

The manufacturer specifically points out the high security of the alternating pressure mattress. For example, the mattress has visual alarms to alert the nursing staff in an emergency.

In addition, the fabric used is fireproof, waterproof and easy to clean, which gives bonus points in terms of hygiene.

Visco-elastic mattress pads

You can also use viscoelastic mattress pads against pressure ulcers. These are placed on the existing mattress in your bed and serve as an additional lying area.

Please note, however, that these mattresses only take the pressure off the body. Thanks to visco-elastic foam, they are very soft and distribute the body pressure very comfortably and gently on the contact surface.

At the same time, it should be noted that the mobility on this mattress is limited. Viscoelastic mattress toppers do not serve as an active therapeutic measure.

However, if you are looking for a preventive solution for long periods of lying down, then viscoelastic mattress toppers are a good choice.

This type of mattress is a sensible investment, especially in the early stages of a clinical picture in bedridden patients.

Benefits:

• Favorable acquisition costs
• Improves blood circulation and relieves the spine and joints
• Low weight and easy to wash
• Visco-elastic foam is free of dust and bacteria and is therefore suitable for allergy sufferers

Disadvantage:

• Only used for prevention, not for active therapy
• The underlying mattress can become moldy if there is poor air circulation
• Viscoelastic mattress pads are not compatible with cold foam mattresses

Here you can take a look at the test winner.

Soft, gentle and pleasant to lie on. With this visco-elastic mattress surface you can conveniently prevent pressure ulcers.

This mattress cover spans two single mattresses. As a small and pleasant side effect, you can also close a possible visitor crack with a mattress wedge with the dimensions of 140 cm x 200 cm .

Gelmatratzen

Sleeping on gel sounds unusual at first. However, hardly any gel mattress consists only of gel. All gel mattress models have different layers with different materials.

As a pressure ulcer patient, you can enjoy both stability and flexibility for your back with a gel mattress. At the same time you lie on a soft surface and can still sleep peacefully.

If the heavy weight and price of a gel mattress doesn’t bother you, all you have to do is get used to the feeling of sleeping on the mattress. It can take a while to get used to the changed sleeping conditions.

The mattress is temperature-neutral and no heating is necessary. On the other hand, as with many other mattresses, you sweat less due to high temperatures in summer.

Benefits:

• Prevents  back and neck problems
• Good adaptation to the body shape
• Durable and robust

Disadvantage:

• Only used for prevention, not for active therapy
• Heavy weight and therefore tedious transport

With the gel mattress from Supply24 you sleep like on a water bed. Although there is gel in the mattress, you are almost floating in your lying position.

This gel mattress offers you excellent pressure relief. The gel mattress can carry up to 100 kilograms per side.

The gel foam mattress adapts to your body shape and weight. It is a very pleasant and convenient solution for pressure ulcer patients.

Compared to many other mattresses and lying surfaces, you do not feel the constant need to turn and move subconsciously while you sleep.

The glass ball beds

My recommendations so far are mattresses and mattress toppers.

However, there is also a therapeutic bed which, due to its properties, also belongs to the category of anti-decubitus aids.

Glass ball beds are special medical beds that have a therapeutic purpose. The beds weigh a whole 900 kilograms.

Due to the high costs, even hospitals only rent these beds in individual cases. For all these reasons, glass ball beds are unsuitable and not feasible for home care.

Anti-decubitus mattress on prescription – does my health insurance pay for it?

An anti-decubitus mattress is a medical aid and as such you are usually entitled to reimbursement.

I cannot answer you exactly whether and how much the health insurance will pay. The best thing to do is to ask your health insurance company directly.

• The assumption of costs and the requirements for this can be found in the documents of your insurance cover.
• There it is written whether and how high the cost coverage is in such a case and what you have to do when applying.

There is no uniform answer or regulation here.

Some health insurance companies require documentation in the form of photos and medical reports. Others, however, have prescription certificates. Still others make the care level a fixed condition for reimbursement.

In that case, it makes sense to first see a doctor and have a thorough examination.

Before buying a mattress, I recommend that you contact the health insurance company in advance. Then you can clarify all questions about reimbursement for anti-decubitus mattresses.

Helpful tips for anti-decubitus patients

Even if this article deals with the mattresses themselves, there are also a few tips that I would like to give you.

A mobile solution for the day

I would like to recommend a pad for wheelchair users. As a pressure ulcer patient, you can sit comfortably and are still mobile.

You can also use this support for all other seating and furniture.

This anti-decubitus pillow weighs only 1.3 kilograms and can support up to 150 kilograms of body weight. Your posture and comfort during long periods of sitting also improve sustainably.

The manufacturer also advertises its product as an anti-shock pillow, which protects your body shape with every movement and cushions vibrations.

Thus, the pressure on your body with the seat cushion is reduced and evenly distributed. At the same time, your blood circulation is improved.

Waterproof mattress protection

From a certain age and with a certain level of care, the risk of incontinence and fluid loss also increases.

Seniors have to deal with this sooner or later and take this unpleasant topic into account.

The skin of incontinent patients is particularly at risk from contact with moisture and bacteria. The formation of ulcers in these affected areas is only a matter of time.

But moisture on the mattress is not only due to possible incontinence. The humidity in the room also plays a role. Don’t forget that high room temperatures can make you sweat easily.

In the long run, all of the moisture causes mold on, in or under the mattress. And with it a lot of subsequent problems.

In order to avoid all of this in good time and as a preventive measure, you should consider waterproof mattress protection.

You can use this mattress protector on mattresses up to a height of 22 cm. This increases the service life of the mattress or mattress topper.

Of course, you also increase the level of hygiene, well-being and health. I recommend this mattress protector to every incontinent patient to avoid ulcer formation.

In addition, this waterproof mattress protector is boil-proof up to 95 degrees and can be tumble dried. With a relatively low acquisition cost, you can reuse the mattress cover as you like.

Pressure ulcers in the modern digital age

You are probably familiar with the principle of a baby monitor. As a concerned parent, you want to know that your child is fine. Even when you leave the nursery, you can monitor the condition of your child with the baby monitor.

Now imagine an even more modern solution for the telephone in which you can use the app to check the current state of health in real time. And that this time the children are monitoring the parents’ condition.

Let’s call it ultra-modern technology and the latest craze.

The Fraunhofer Institute has researched a sensory care mattress that, thanks to modern software and system technology, measures the patient’s condition and a lot of other information.

This mattress called ThevoSmart supports you as a patient in your individual rhythm. For this purpose, Thomashilfen has developed a so-called maintenance cockpit app with which you can monitor the live status.

The sensors in the intelligent mattress are so modern that you can detect the moisture in the bed yourself or query vital data live.

You can rent or buy the maintenance cockpit monthly for this purpose. If you are interested in a digital care assistant, take a look at the company’s website .

Conclusion

Pressure ulcers is a painful and unsavory subject. But ulcers occur sooner or later in every bedridden patient as a result of too long lying down.

• Anti-decubitus mattresses are medical aids that are useful for pressure ulcers.
• Alternating pressure mattresses, viscoelastic mattress pads and gel mattresses are particularly suitable.

You must consult your family doctor beforehand so that your health insurance company cooperates and covers all or at least part of the costs.

He will examine you and, if diagnosed, will write a prescription and recommend the need for an anti-decubitus mattress.

There is of course a fine line when it comes to health. Health is often called the greatest good. This asset should be considered and promoted as much as possible in the care patient.

Even if some of the previously presented anti-decubitus mattresses are expensive, it is definitely worth purchasing for pain relief and increased patient well-being.

For this article, I spent a lot of time dealing with anti-decubitus mattresses. My top favorite is the Mobiclinic model:

Whichever model you choose – I hope that your suffering is alleviated as much as possible and that pressure ulcers can be treated easily in your case.