Transforming Patient Care and Operational Efficiency with The Dressing Chair
For Facilities:
1. Optimize Labor Costs and Staffing Challenges
In today’s care environment, facilities face rising costs related to caregiver labor—especially in states like Massachusetts, where experienced care providers can command rates of $55 per hour plus benefits. At the same time, the industry is struggling with high staff turnover; for example, many facilities see turnover rates upwards of 50% annually for CNAs and nursing staff . The Dressing Chair offers a practical solution, reducing reliance on costly, in-demand caregivers by promoting patient independence and, ultimately, easing staffing pressures.
2. Reduce Risks and Liabilities
Patient handling is a significant contributor to workplace injuries among hospital and rehab workers, with 1 in 6 filing a workman’s comp claim and an average claim amount of around $20,000. Crucially, 25% of these claims relate directly to patient handling. By mitigating the physical burden on staff, the Dressing Chair not only helps decrease the number and severity of injuries but also minimizes the associated liability risks and financial exposures for your facility.
3. Enhance Patient Mobility for Improved Outcomes
The Dressing Chair is designed to empower patients to dress and move more independently, which can have several positive clinical implications:
• Reduced Length of Stay: Enhanced mobility means patients require less intensive caregiver assistance, enabling them to recover faster and avoid prolonged stays.
• Accelerated Discharge: Patients using the Dressing Chair can potentially be discharged sooner, reducing the likelihood of transitioning into custodial care and helping ensure that stays do not exceed insurance coverage periods.
• Improved Functional Independence: Facilitating independent care contributes to better long-term functional mobility, which is a critical element of quality post-acute care.
What should you NOT do with a walker? To reduce your risk of falls and injuries.
- Don’t do this with a walker
- Don’t use the walker to pull yourself up from sitting to standing.
- Don’t bend your back to lean into the walker.
When transferring from sitting at the edge of the bed to standing, it's generally safer and more stable to push with your arms rather than pulling backward. Pulling can increase the risk of tipping, while pushing provides better control and stability. Here's a more detailed explanation:
Why pushing with your arms from The Dressing Chair into standing is preferred:
Stability:
When pushing from The Dressing Chair the user has a solid base of support making the transfer easier with improved safety & balance.Control:
Pushing up from The Dressing Chair the user has the solid side and back rails also, our arms are stronger when we use our muscles to push.Preventing falls:
Pushing up from The Dressing Chair, the users has a solid base that does not move and has side and back rails to prevent fallingWhy pulling on a walker can be risky:
Tipping:
Pulling on the walker can cause it to tip backward, especially if the user is leaning forward or has a weak grip.Loss of balance:
Pulling can disrupt the user's balance and make it difficult to maintain a stable position.Inadequate support:
Pulling doesn't provide the same level of support and stability as pushing, especially when standing and moving.The Dressing Chair was designed and built to eliminate the use of a walker to get out of bed.
Why is The Dressing Chair so much safer? Because the person using The Dressing Chair uses the sliding platform to get onto the seat of The Dressing Chair. The Dressing Chair is very solid and has sturdy sides and back supports. The person getting out of bed can use their arms to do a “Push to standing” transfer.
Why using a walker to get from sitting at the edge of the bed to standing can be risky?
The person using the walker will try to pull themselves up by pulling on the walker a “Pull to standing” transfer - this is not safe. Of course, the walker is not fixed to the ground so the walker tips. The walker does not assist the person to get to standing, unfortunately when the users pulls on the walker, the walker just comes off of the floor. The person using the walker can fall backwards or lose their balance. Also, the person trying to transfer from sitting to standing using a walker needs an assistant. The assistant has to hold the walker in place against the full weight of the person they are helping and they often have to pull the person up!
4. Financial and Operational Advantages
When you integrate the Dressing Chair into your patient care protocols, you are not just enhancing patient outcomes—you are also making a strategic move to:
• Cut down on labor costs and reduce overtime expenditure.
• Lower worker’s compensation claim frequency and associated costs.
• Increase the throughput of patients by promoting earlier discharges, thereby boosting facility efficiency and revenue.
• Potentially improve quality ratings and patient satisfaction scores, as more independent patients often lead to better overall care outcomes.
5. Conclusion
The Dressing Chair is more than just a mobility aid—it’s a strategic asset that addresses both clinical and operational challenges in today’s care facilities. By reducing labor demands, lowering injury risks, and promoting faster recovery, it paves the way for a more efficient, cost-effective, and patient-centric care model.
Take the next step toward innovation in patient care, and explore how the Dressing Chair can be seamlessly integrated into your facility’s workflow.
In addition to the points above, you might consider examining how similar innovations have helped facilities improve quality indicators and reduce readmission rates. This could serve as a basis for your facility’s broader strategic shift toward enhanced care delivery and cost management.