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Choosing a Pressure Care Mattress

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Pressure care is one of the fastest-growing fields in modern healthcare and is used to prevent secondary issues and complications brought on by increased time in bed and decreased mobility and activity. Pressure care mattresses are used in hospitals, the community and homecare environments, along with profiling beds to help prevent and relieve pressure injuries.

Pressure injuries (sores)

Pressure injuries affect the skin and possibly underlying tissues that develop due to prolonged pressure on an area of the skin. These injuries mainly affect the elbows, base of the spine, hips and heels. i.e. the bony areas in contact with a mattress.

The risk of pressure sore development depends on the following factors:

  • Skin integrity: to determine the integrity of the skin, a health professional, is needed to assess how a person’s skin deals with high amounts of pressure.
  • Mobility: reduced ability to move & re-distribute body weight can increase the risk of developing pressure injuries.
  • Time spent in bed: time spent in bed will increase the risk of developing pressure injuries.
  • Other conditions: health conditions that affect the blood can play a role in increasing the risk of developing a pressure injury.

The severity of pressure injuries falls into different categories, starting with skin redness or blotches and irritation to full tissue loss, which can lead to exposed bone and tendons. It is important to note whether you want to help prevent pressure sores or if a person already has sores. Once the risk and/or presence of pressure sores has been determined, the appropriate mattress or overlay can be chosen.

Pressure mattresses & overlays

A pressure mattress is used to either prevent or help treat the presence of pressure injuries by distributing pressure around the body and providing relieving air pockets for the pressure sores to sit. These mattresses can be either overlays or full replacements on top of profiling beds. Overlays have a shallow depth and are positioned on top of an existing mattress. Full mattresses simply replace the need for an overlay mattress by having deeper air cells and incorporating both mattress and pressure care into one.

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Types of mattresses

Pressure mattresses come in three main types, these are static/foam mattresses, dynamic airflow/alternating cell mattresses and hybrid mattresses. We can also provide bariatric (HD) versions of many of our models of mattresses.

1. Static/foam mattresses

Foam mattresses are best suited for those at low risk of developing pressure injuries and for those who don’t have pressure injuries. This type of mattress generally helps to prevent rather than treat pressure issues. They use single or multiple foam layers and shaped “castellated” surfaces to distribute the pressure around the body and reduce the pressure on the skin, providing high levels of comfort.

2. Dynamic/airflow/alternating mattresses

Dynamic (alternating airflow) mattresses redistribute pressure by inflating and deflating different air cells at pre-set intervals. Airflow is controlled by a pump that is normally hung at the end of the bed. The inflated cells provide support, while the deflated cells provide relief for present pressure sores. The pump ensures constant air movement within the cells of the mattress, which is useful in treating pressure sores. These mattresses are best suited for people with moderate to high risk of pressure sores.

3. Hybrid mattresses

Hybrid mattresses combine the properties of both static foam and dynamic airflow mattresses to create a hybrid mattress best suited for those at high risk of developing pressure sores. These mattresses combine alternating air cells with a foam layer providing the highest level of support and comfort. A hybrid mattress will normally provide some pressure relief (due to the foam layer) in the case of a power outage, however, only for a very limited period of time.

ICON Essential Mattress

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Ares 4 Profiling Pressure Care Mattress

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Pressure care mattresses are important in reducing pressure injuries as well as reducing risks and complications associated with pressure sores such as infections and pain or discomfort. It is important to use the right mattress for the correct assessed level of risk for the user. It is very important to consult a health care professional (Tissue Viability Nurse) before purchasing a mattress. For further information or advice, feel free to browse our website (see below) or contact us.

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VAT Relief for the Disabled

What is VAT relief?

We have compiled this small guide to help you understand who is and who isn’t eligible to claim VAT relief on disability aids available to buy on this website. VAT relief allows chronically ill or disabled people to buy eligible items at 0% tax rather than the current standard rate of  VAT – saving them a significant amount of money.

Who is eligible for VAT relief?

To be eligible for VAT relief the government says that you have to fit the following criteria:

  • Charities – simply provide us with your charity number.
  • A person is ‘chronically sick or disabled’ if they are a person:
    • With a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect upon their ability to carry out everyday activities; with a condition that the medical profession treats as a chronic sickness, such as diabetes; or who is terminally ill.
  • Important to note: It does NOT include a frail elderly person who is otherwise able-bodied or any person who is only temporarily disabled or incapacitated, such as with a broken limb.

What proof do we need to provide?

The government requires a simple declaration to be made as to the nature of your disability at the time of order in order to waive VAT on an eligible purchase. No proof of your disability need be shown to any party at any time. It is easy to claim VAT relief, all we need to know is the full name, full address and what their chronic sickness or disability is. We do not need a doctor’s letter or any reference numbers as long as we have the requested details.

The above information can be provided to us during the checkout. If you order online, by phone or by post we will send you a form and a free return envelope asking you for the above information and a signature.

Displayed prices

If you see a small purple banner or text link with the words, “VAT relief available” or a price shown with “with VAT relief” after it, then VAT relief can be claimed on that particular item.

Things to remember

  • We do NOT decide if an item is or isn’t exempt and we don’t make any more or less money if we charge you VAT or we don’t charge you VAT
  • The details you provide are private and strictly confidential. They can only be viewed on our secure private company network and will be made securely available to the UK Government HMRC should they request any clarification on your purchase.
  • If you do not complete the VAT relief form, or you are not eligible for VAT relief, we are obliged to charge you the full prevailing VAT on the whole of your order
  • Not all products are eligible for VAT relief, so we are obliged to charge VAT at the prevailing rate for those products that are not VAT exempt, even after you complete this form
  • Visit gov.uk/financial-help-disabled/vat-relief for more information. That also has links to other financial help if you are disabled