Improved work health and safety and quality of care

Background

In 2013 and 2014, the Municipality went into dialogue with Vendlet in regard to their desire to improve care quality and work health and safety in the care. As part of this effort, the municipality wanted to implement the VENDLET V5 in the care of bedridden and immobile clients who receive help for transfers and moving and handling. 

The municipality’s expectation was that the VENDLET V5 could contribute to:

• Better moving and handling from the perspective of the client and the staff (increased quality)
• Better working conditions for caregivers (better working environment)
• More efficient repositioning of sleeping clients (reduced time spent) - 2 to 1 goal.

 

The scope of the project

12 VENDLET V5 systems and 12 sets of LEJRELET cushions were purchased to be included in the project. 

The systems were distributed as follows:

• 1 system for educational purposes
• 4 systems at a nursing home
• 7 systems in home care

The project sought to be as inclusive as possible towards all stakeholders and sought to provide thorough instruction in optimal use of VENDLET. At the end of the project, the VENDLET system was supposed to be tested to such an extent that a business case could be compiled in order to know the consequences of a broader implementation of VENDLET in nursing homes and home care.

 

Work environment

On the basis of the improvements that the project has shown for the staff’s physical work health and safety, implementation of the system was recommended. A number of straining work procedures were completely eliminated, which logically coincides with reduced risk of sick leave and occupational injuries.

 

Increased quality for clients

The project has shown increased comfort and less pain for some clients when it comes to transfers and moving and handling situations. However, not all clients in the project have noticed improvements. It is thus possible for some clients to get better comfort, but not for everyone.

 

Saved time - 2:1 goal

Unfortunately, the project was unable to confirm this objective. This is primarily due to the following circumstances:

• Many clients that participated in the project proved to have very poor health that deteriorated during the project. This meant that the care became increasingly demanding, and there were several of the clients that died during the test period.
• During the project it became clear that the time measurements are not comparable as the staff did not use positioning cushions before. When implementing VENDLET, there was a strong focus on the correct use and inclusion of positioning as a natural part of the care.

Despite of this, it is the project group’s assessment that implementing VENDLET would lead to increased efficiency and that it would be possible to go from 2 caregivers to 1 in many transfer situations in the future.

Based on the experience gathered from the project, Faaborg-Midtfyn Municipality subsequently decided to implement VENDLET widely. Likewise, positioning cushions were implemented as a permanent element in the care and they developed a positioning catalogue using Vendlet’s LEJRELET series.

 

When should I use VENDLET?

In many Danish municipalities, all other aids must be trialed before a VENDLET can be prescribed.

The project management from the municipality estimated that VENDLET can be used in all situations where the client’s health means that it is no longer be possible to be one person to perform the care task.

In this way, VENDLET can be introduced when the careers’ work load increases, the client’s comfort decreases and the use of the VENDLET V5 can postpone the need to be two caregivers to perform the care tasks.

Thus, the project questions the normal practice that VENDLET is the ”last resort”. With an earlier and more timely implementation, far greater impact is achieved for all parties.