FAQs about VENDLET

The VENDLET is an electrical turning system that is used during the repositioning, the transferring, and the turning of a bedridden client accommodated at nursing homes, care homes, hospitals, and other institutions. The VENDLET is mostly used for clients who suffer from some degree of mobility limitations or have limited cognitive resources. 

The VENDLET can also be referred to as a patient transfer aid or a patient positioning system. You might also have heard it in reference to assistive technology, rehabilitation, bariatric and obesity issues as well as mobility aids. 

Who are the targeted groups of a powered turning aid? 

There are two target groups meant for this assistive device; 1) caregivers and 2) clients and patients. Both groups have reasons as to why they would benefit from an electrical turning system. 

The client and patient group can be further subcategorized into four groups. This is supported by a research project by The Danish Technological Institute. Those four subcategories are:

1. Clients who suffer from diseases causing limited mobility such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease, Cerebral Palsy (CP), ALS, paralysis, muscular dystrophy, and more.
2. Psychiatric clients or clients with limited cognitive resources causing diseases such as dementia, anxiety, or BPSD, or other cliental groups who showcase aggressive behavior. 
3. Clients affected by pain such as cancer patients, terminally ill clients, or clients with multiple fractures. 
4. Bariatric clients. 

The research project recommends that you look at a guideline before determining whether or not your client would benefit from using a patient turning aid. You can see a guideline here. 

The answer might seem obvious to people, who already know the VENDLET, but our team is often asked this question. The answer is yes. The sheet can be changed (watch the video to see how). The sheet must be changed as often as a regular sheet, and it can also be changed while the client lies in the bed. 

Some caregivers fear that they will accidentally roll the client out of the bed when using the patient transfer aid and that they will land on the floor. However, there is no need to be worried about that. For that to happen, you would have to be extremely inattentive and continue to press the button even though the client would protest as they would reach the side rail. Furthermore, it would usually take an extra push for the client to roll past the bar as their weight would lower them into the mattress. 

Yes, you can. You can use underpads and incontinence sheets as you normally would. 

Yes, it is. However, it can be necessary to make individual adjustments with tubes etc. if the client/patient uses a drainage tube or a catheter. 

Placing the urine bag or drainage tube at the foot end of the bed will often be an optimal solution. However, should this not be possible you could use long tubes to hang the urine bag or drainage bag on the outer surface of the VENDLET. In such cases, the bag should be placed on the bed frame by the footboard and the tube routed between the footboard and the VENDLET bracket. Be careful to avoid squeezing the tube.

Yes, you can. You can use the VENDLET system with all kinds of mattresses. The functions of the mattress are not disturbed by the VENDLET system, as the sheet would be slackened when the client is not being repositioned. This means that the pressure-relieving function of the mattress is not restricted. It is however important to make the mattress firm before transferring the client, just like you would with manual moving and handling situations. 

Yes, it is and it would actually be beneficial to the client. The process of repositioning with the VENDLET is repetitive and follows the same procedure every time. It is also possible to regulate the speed of the transferring. Those aspects ensure that the client can keep up as well as have a better understanding of what is going on. We have seen countless cases, where an electrical turning system has been successfully used on clients with dementia. You can read more in this statement made by an Alzheimer's therapist.

If the client has the proper cognitive and physical resources to use the VENDLET, they can use the patient transfer system themselves. 

We have received multiple successful cases, where it has been beneficial to the client to use the VENDLET unassisted. It can for instance be useful for the client to use the system on their own during the night if they get uncomfortable by continuously staying in the same position. It can also be beneficial to the client as it contributes to the rehabilitative effort. 

It is however necessary for you or a responsible healthcare professional to do a risk assessment. The risk assessment should take the clients physical, cognitive and palliative resources into consideration. Furthermore, the assessment must be available by the bed and must be updated on a regular basis. Vendlet ApS can not be held responsible for the risk assessment or the conclusions based on this. 

Yes, you can if both you and the client are comfortable with the situation. When the client first receives the VENDLET, it can be more comfortable to have two people to help with the repositioning, but it can in time be more pleasant for the client to be 1:1 with the caregiver. It creates a better relationship between the client and the caregiver as well as creates more resources for other tasks. 

They have had great success with this in one of the Danish municipalities. 

Yes, you can. When you leave the client in the bed, you have to make sure that the sheet has been slightly slackened so that it can move with the client. When the sheet has been slackened you can still elevate the head part of the bed but if the head part needs to be completely elevated, you must slacken the sheet even more. It is also possible to use the VENDLET on a client who uses a respirator, as it is actually possible to operate the VENDLET with the head part slightly elevated. 

Yes, you can. The head part of the bed can not be fully elevated during a repositioning with the VENDLET, but it is possible to have it slightly elevated if for example the client is bariatric or has respiratory issues. 

Yes, you can. Some people prefer to have two hand controls for their VENDLET - one on each side of the bed. This can be helpful as you would not have to bring the hand control if you have to be on the other side of the bed. It can also be favourable to have two hand controls if you are two caregivers for a morning routine, where the client has to be turned from one side to the other to get dressed.

One of our goals here at Vendlet is to improve work health and safety in the care sector. We believe, that it is not work environmentally sound to use a foot control to operate the VENDLET as it locks the working position. That is why we have chosen not to offer a foot control along with our electrical turning system. You can read more about it in this article. 

Yes, it can. When the bars are raised, the VENDLET works as side rails. The older models do however require the use of plastic plates on the bars when the client is left in a bed with raised bars. Be aware that the side rail function should only be used on clients, who need it. 

That depends on which VENDLET model you have. On the newer models (VENDLET Standard, VENDLET V5S, VENDLET V5S Speed Adjust and VENDLET Bari) there is no need for the use of plastic plates as the side rails are already integrated with the VENDLET. The side rails on these models have been tested and approved by TÜV.

On the older VENDLET models such as VENDLET V5 and V4, you need to use plastic plates in order for the powered turning aid to be approved as a side rail. These models have however been off the market for more than 5 years and we do not distribute them anymore. Therefore, you can not expect us to be able to deliver plastic plates or other spare parts for those models.

There can be multiple reasons why this happens when turning your client. One of the most common reasons is that the caregiver forgets to put the underlying arm out to the side. When the arm is not positioned right, the client lies directly on their shoulder, meaning they are not lying securely. The client can also roll over on their back if you end the repositioning too soon, as it results in the weight being centred in the back. Remember the three steps in repositioning: 1) place the client's arm on their chest, 2) place the underlying arm to the side and 3) shift the leg in parallel above the other leg. You can see a demonstration here. 

If your client continues to roll over on their stomach or their back, we recommend that you place a positioning cushion in front of or behind the client.

If your VENDLET starts to malfunction, there is a number of things you can try out yourself to fix it. You will find these in the manual. For the VENDLET V5S and the VENDLET Bari, look in the manual on page 29. 

For the VENDLET Basic, look in the manual on page 24.

If none of the methods works, including resetting the VENDLET, you should contact one of our technical consultants, or the one who usually services your systems. 

The purpose of the slide sheet is to reduce the friction between the turning sheet and the mattress. The slide sheet is subject to extensive wear and must be checked regularly. However, the durability of the slide sheet is significantly increased if it is mounted correctly and washed according to the washing instructions.

The slide sheet is made of 100 % nylon. We recommend that you wash the slide sheets at 60 degrees. The sheet must not be tumble dried or ironed. You must not use fabric softener as it damages the sliding effect of the sheet.

The turning sheet must be changed as regularly as a normal sheet. If it is washed by the washing instructions, the sheet can last for many years. It is made of a very thick cotton weave and is therefore incredibly durable. 

The turning sheet is made of 100 % cotton and has high abrasion resistance. It can be washed at 95 degrees and can be tumble dried. The sheet can easily be ironed or mangled at a maximum of 150 degrees. 

If your sheet has a Velcro attachment, we recommend that you tumble dry it at a normal temperature to ensure that the velcro straps will continue to function. 

The VENDLET system must be serviced annually by a person with relevant training. This check will ensure that the safety issues pertaining to the VENDLET system are in compliance with the standard as well as a long service life. For more information, please check the manual.

Occasionally, the turning sheet will roll askew on the bars. As such, this is insignificant and the VENDLET system will still be operable. This could however result in creases in the turning sheet under the client which is undesirable.

Hence, we recommend that you aim to smooth the turning sheet if the sheet is askew on the bars by more than a hand’s width. In this situation, you will have to slacken the sheet that has been pulled askew and pull it in again while guiding/smoothing it with your hand.

On disposal of a VENDLET, we recommend that the VENDLET be divided into individual parts and components so as much as possible can be recycled. 

All mechanical steel components may be disposed of as metal parts. 

The control unit, the actuators and the hand control may be disposed of as electronic waste. They can be further divided into metal waste, cable waste, electronic waste and reusable plastic. 

The turning sheet and the slide sheet should be disposed of as combustible waste. 

No, there is not. Speed adjustment comes with the systems VENDLET Basic, VENDLET Bari and VENDLET V5S Speed Adjust. If you have an older model (VENDLET V5S, VENDLET V5S+, V5 or V5+), you can upgrade them by connecting the Speed Adjust hand control (Item no. 6000042) to the system, meaning you will be able to control the speed of the bars. IF your VENDLET has been bought before the 1st of July 2016, you will need to buy a new control unit (Item no. 6000001) in order for the Speed Adjust hand control to work.