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Bariatric Equipment
More than 8 million people in Britain - nearly a quarter of the adult population - are classified as clinically obese. With childhood obesity levels also rising, the needs of heavier patients and those caring for them, have to be addressed.
Increased weight increases the risk of injury to the caregiver during patient handling and movement tasks. It is essential that adequate training is given in safe handling techniques.
Some of the tasks that present extra challenges when the patient is obese include turning and repositioning in bed to prevent pressure sores; transferring in and out of bed or chair; assisting with bathing and toileting; supporting a limb while performing patient handling tasks; etc.
At the same time, there are environmental issues, including strength of equipment, doorway clearance and accommodation of scales which need to be addressed in the management of bariatric patients.
Click the links to go straight to each topic:
Defining obesity
Scales
Bariatric hoists
Other transfer aids
Bariatric beds and chairs
Toileting aids
For mobility products, such as walking aids and wheelchairs, please go to the Independent Living mobility section
Suppliers of bariatric equipment. Click on a name for more details in a new window:
1st
Call Mobility
AAT Stairclimbers
bariatric stairclimber
Abacus Healthcare
Bartrams Mobility
Horcher Lifting Systems
Huntleigh Healthcare
Kinderkey bariatric
bed
L Person & Son
Rotunda transfer aid
Lisclare bariatric
bed
Mangar International
Molift bariatric ceiling
and mobile hoists
Montcalm Care Beds
Sidhil beds
Sunrise Medical
SupaSupport bariatric
pressure relief cushion
Theraposture bariatric
beds and chairs
Uniscan bariatric walker
Westholme bariatric
hoists
Wilcare Wales bariatric
easychairs
Defining obesity
The Body Mass Indicator (BMI) is the internationally used standard for classifying an individual's weight.
You can calculate by dividing the person's weight in kg by their height in metres, squared. ie: kg ÷ m²
And these are the ranges:
Underweight |
< 18.5 |
Normal |
18.5 - 24.9 |
Overweight |
25 - 29.9 |
Obese |
> 30 |
Morbidly obese |
> 40 |
Scales
It
is essential to have accurate scales available so that
proper care can be given to bariatric patients. This is in order to assess
which equipment can be safely used for transport, etc, without risk to
either carer or patient.
For patients with limited mobility, a wheelchair scale (right) is safer and easier. This one is a precision mechanical scale. Digital electronic versions are also available.
Bariatric hoists
Hoisting
systems are available from a number of suppliers, to meet the needs of
heavier patients.
The three basic hoisting types - ceiling-track mounted, freestanding mobile and portable gantry type, are all available to transport heavier loads.
For information about the various options, visit our hoisting section.
A weighing scale is often available as a hoist accessory, so that patients' weight can be monitored.
Bariatric slings are also available either from the hoist manufacturer or a specialist sling supplier, to work with the hoist.
Other transfer aids
Apart
from hoists, there are a number of other aids to assist with transfers
of bariatric patients.
For short transfers, simple equipment, such as a heavy duty transfer board (right) can facilitate moves from wheelchair to easychair, bed to wheelchair, etc. This type of aid is only likely to be suitable for patients at the lower end of the obesity scale, and care should always be taken to minimise manual handling for the safety of both carer and patient.
For
patients who can weight-bear, at least for a short time, a heavy
duty standing transfer aid may be suitable (left).
It can be used to move a patient from a sitting to standing position, or to transfer them in a standing or sitting position, with the addition of appropriate slings or support belts.
Transfer systems are also available which enable a patient with very limited, or no mobility, to be transferred in either a lying or sitting position.
For repositioning immobile bariatric patients in bed, a heavyweight repositioning sheet, which remains on the bed, is most convenient. Used ideally in conjunction with an overhead hoist, the repositioning sheet enables one carer to move and turn a patient safely.
Mangar's emergency lifting cushion, designed for raising a fallen but uninjured person from the floor, can be used for patients weighing up to 70 stone.
For climbing stairs, AAT's C-max U2 powered stairclimber has a maximum user weight of 25 stone (160 kg), and enables one person to assist the user going up or down stairs, without the need for manual handling or additional help. It can be used safely on any type of floor covering.
Bariatric beds and chairs
An
electrically operated three- or four-part profiling bed can be adapted
to provide the most comfortable position for sleeping and for giving nursing
care.
A bed designed for heavier patients needs a sturdy, reinforced frame, and of course a larger sleeping area. In positioning the bed, it is also important to make sure that there is sufficient room around it to accomplish any nursing tasks or transfers of the patient safely and comfortably. A clearance of 5 feet (1.5 metres) at the sides and foot of the bed allows for positioning of bariatric hoists and wheelchairs and for carers to assist.
For pressure relief and management of respiratory and circulatory problems, often associated with obesity, the profiling frame can be coordinated with a bariatric alternating and lateral rotating mattress, which turns the patient and ensures that pressure is not placed continuously on the same areas, thus freeing the carer from a significant task.
Alternatively, there are complete units available, which combine a heavy duty powered bed frame with alternating pressure mattress.
Read more about pressure relief here
Bariatric
chairs also need stronger and wider frames, with sturdy arms capable of
fully supporting the occupant as they raise or lower themselves.
Automatic rise and recline armchairs (left) which enable a person to recline into a more comfortable position, and assist them to rise into a standing position, are also available in heavy duty versions, for up to 60 or 70 stone.
Some chairs also include built-in massage therapy to assist with poor circulation or aching muscles and joints, or pressure relief features that are particularly helpful for those who must remain seated for long periods.
Toileting aids
Many
really heavy people are nervous about using the toilet in case they break
it and injure themselves. A traditional ceramic pan will take a load of
about 20 stone, but there is now a heavy-duty toilet surround available
from 1st Call Mobility, (shown left) which will convert any standard toilet
into a facility that can be used safely by people weighing up to 70 stone.
Most configurations of grab rails in the toilet are not sufficient for the needs of obese patients, as they do not extend far enough forwards, and may not be sufficiently supportive. A sturdy floor-mounted support in front of the toilet may be more helpful, as the user can then lean forwards and use both hands to pull themselves up.
Provisions
for assistance in this area also include extra-wide commode chairs (right).
As well as providing a portable facility, a chair like this can also be
used over the toilet, without the removable pan, in place of a support
frame or raised toilet seat.
Personal cleansing after using the toilet may be especially difficult: a specialist unit that combines a bidet and warm air drying with the WC may be the solution to maintaining patient dignity and privacy in this area.
Read more about specialist toilets here
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