Muscular Dystrophy Month
September is Muscular Dystrophy Month; this month is dedicated to increasing people’s awareness and understanding of the condition and the impact it has on people’s lives. Muscular Dystrophy is a term that covers a large range of conditions but they all share some common features: a progression in muscle weakness and loss of muscle mass as a result of a genetic disorder meaning that none of these conditions can be prevented. People who are living with muscular dystrophy can find straightforward tasks such as eating or walking challenging. The large limitations that Muscular Dystrophy can impose on a person’s mobility and everyday activity can significantly diminish a person’s dignity and independence and by extension influence the lives of those around them. One of the most common and severe forms of Muscular Dystrophy is Duchenne. From an early childhood, people born with Duchenne will often experience trouble with basic movement and require assistance with essential tasks. Duchenne regularly affects a person’s mental health and internal organs such as the heart and lungs leading to further problems with their respiratory system and simple breathing. While like all other forms of muscular dystrophy, there is no cure or straightforward solution, there are effective forms of care and treatment that can improve the overall quality of life.
KIHTO has a range of specialist beds that can accommodate and care for several complex conditions available for short or long-term hire. This means that people can hire equipment for budget constraints, holiday or for out of hospital treatment. The Arctic and Baltic are both versatile turning beds with a large range of profiling and movement options making them appropriate for treating a variety of complex needs and conditions including Muscular Dystrophy. These movements are operated with an accessible and easy to understand handset. By using the handset, people with Muscular Dystrophy are able to move and reposition themselves at their own discretion without any assistance needed, helping them regain some aspect of independence. This handset will significantly reduce the need for moving and handling from any carers. They will not need to manually lift and turn the person in bed; instead all they need is to press a series of buttons to achieve the same result, reducing their risk of injury and letting the client maintain their dignity when using the bed.
One of the most notable features of that these turning beds have is the option for automated turning and programming from a control box. Each of the beds can be programmed to run through a particular series of movements catered to a client’s condition such as Muscular Dystrophy during the night as specific time intervals without any assistance or carers required to be present, giving true hands-free care. This overnight-automated turning will also reduce the risk of pressure sores or ulcers forming by consistently repositioning the user on a regular basis. This consistent movement means that their weight distribution and by extension the level of pressure on their back and legs will gradually change over time rather than being focused on a few select points reducing and preventing pressure sores and ulcers.
While the Baltic can provide effective care to different forms of Muscular Dystrophy, the Arctic bed itself was developed specifically to treat people with Duchenne. The main feature that differentiates the Arctic from the Baltic is its individual leg movements installed as standard. It is common for people who suffer from Duchenne to have problems with positioning and realigning their knees and legs in bed. This can cause the person in question to have significant long-term discomfort and a high level of strain in their groin or a significant reliance on carers to move and reposition their legs. The Arctic’s individual leg movements can prevent a person’s legs from rolling out, preventing any further strain or discomfort for the bed user and ensuring a better night’s sleep.
