Contract - October 2011 - (Page 42)

product focus caregivers need care, too Nurture by Steelcase’s Empath recliner attempts to address both patient and caregiver safety In healthcare environments, the patient always comes first. But caregivers’ invaluable service will sometimes lead to their own injuries. Nurture by Steelcase sought to help remedy this through design, beginning with more than 2,000 hours of observing caregivers in action. This became the foundation for Empath, a recliner being launched at the Healthcare Design.11 conference in Nashville, November 13 to 16, that gives maximum consideration to patients and caregivers alike. The Nurture team witnessed the caregivers straining their backs during bed-to-chair transfers and other motions required for operating recliners. At the same time, patients themselves would sometimes sustain hip bruising during the transfer. “The chair becomes an awkward obstacle causing clinical assistants to lean over while trying to help the patient have a soft landing,” says Alan Rheault, Nurture’s director of product design. “We also observed extreme reaching where the assistant balanced on one foot to prevent tubes from getting tangled or run over by the chair wheels.” To make a better and safer product for the staff user and patient, Nurture created a quality steel-construction product with all the bells and whistles. The most critical improvement is a central lock mechanism—activated from either side of the chair by foot—to prevent chair movement during transfer and eliminate bending for the caregiver. Optional folding arms for both sides allow for easy transfer of more immobile patients, and the brand’s “I-skin” urethane softarm material reduces the chance of patient injury. Patients have better control of the angle at which they recline thanks to long and easy-to-reach reclining paddles located on both arm exteriors. And an optional push bar and pullout footrest facilitate moving the patient. The chair also features an adjustable headrest, tablet surface, heat and massage options, an IV pole and drainage bag, quiet and smooth-rolling casters, and a Trendelenburg mechanism. But perhaps the crowning achievement is delivering all these in a compact and elegant package. Rheault comments, “Simple isn’t easy. The chair in its final form looks so clean that the insights, invention, hard work, empathy, and passion behind the design will not be obvious to its users.” —Sheila Kim www.nurture.com Reader Service No. 210 42 contract october 2011 www.contractdesign.com http://www.nurture.com http://www.contractdesign.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - October 2011

Contract - October 2011
Contents
Editorial
Industry news
Product briefs: healthcare
Product focus: caregivers need care, too
Product focus: above + below
Product focus: glass for health
Advancements made in evidence-based healthcare design
The power of design
Less clinical, more hospitable
Beautifully lean
Raising the bar
New life
Urban sanctuary
The 2011 healthcare environment awards
Designers select: healthcare products
Ad index
Perspectives

Contract - October 2011