New Jersey mandates proper pressure relieving mattresses
McKnight's had an article about New Jersey passing a bill that would require nursing home operators to switch from regular mattresses to pressure-relief mattresses within three years. No reason was given why the industry was given three years to replace the useless mattresses. Operators would have to buy the more costly and effective mattresses when replacing older ones starting a year from the bill's enactment.
“While pressure redistribution mattresses may cost more up front than the standard spring mattresses, we cannot put a price on the continued health and wellness of our state's most vulnerable senior citizens,” said bill co-sponsor Sen. Bob Gordon (D-Bergen). “While these new mattresses alone won't make bed sores an ailment of the past, they will greatly reduce the incidence of bed sores, and make their treatment much easier on the dedicated nursing home staff.”
Hopefully, the rest of the country will follow. Pressure relieving mattresses are one of the keys to preventing painful and potentially fatal pressure ulcers.
