Language is bad, but idea is sound....
Now, the company Wellsense has developed an alert monitor that can track pressure points on a person’s body and assist caregivers in adjusting the patient’s position every few hours to prevent bedsores. The Monitor Alert Project (MAP) is a monitor-connected mattress that illustrates the likely bedsore spots on the patient’s body. On its website, Wellsense describes the project: “The Map System is the first ever, Continuous Bedside Pressure Mapping System (CBPM). Used seamlessly on any existing bed, MAP allows caregivers to place and position patients using actual pressure distribution data. The MAP System provides instant feedback to guide caregivers through off-loading pressure accurately.”
Though it’s a preventable problem, up to 60,000 Americans die from bedsores every year, and nearly 2.5 million are affected. A 2012 study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that older people who developed bedsores during their time in the hospital were more likely to die, to stay longer in the hospital, and to be readmitted within 30 days of their discharge.