title: [As we make our bed, so we must lie. The effect of super soft mattresses on the mobility of the elderly needing care].
abstract: This article discusses the effect of supersoft mattresses on the mobility of elderly persons in nursing homes. It is based on a pilot study, which also includes video footage of patients engaged in a variety of activities after having slept on soft mattresses for an extended period of time. The soft mattresses were then replaced by conventional hospital mattresses, and the same activities were videotaped again. The individual motion sequences were analyzed and compared. The results of this pilot study can be summarized in the following hypotheses: soft mattresses 1. restrict mobility; 2. cause reduced orientation; 3. impair human function, particularly perception. These findings are highly significant because reduced mobility is often the decisive cause of a decubitus hazard. Supersoft bedding can increase this motion deficit. While the pressure-relieving and decubitus-preventing effects of soft mattresses are undisputed, the study confirms that motion aspects and their impact on the overall condition of the patient must be considered in an appraisal of the nursing situation. Nursing personnel must have access to specific criteria governing the use of soft bedding material. They need to develop nursing skills and abilities that make supersoft bedding superfluous or that limit the primary and secondary effects of such measures.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Knobel
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D001513:Beds / Q000592:standards*; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D009949:Orientation; D010465:Perception; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014743:Videotape Recording
vernacular_title: Wie man sich bettet, so bewegt man. Der Einfluss von superweichen Matratzen auf die Bewegung älterer, pflegebedürftiger Menschen.