In 2016, around 13% of adults worldwide were affected by obesity, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2021), characterising an abnormal excess of body fat posing health risks. Epidemiological studies indicate a steady rise in obesity prevalence in recent decades, reaching epidemic levels (Großschädl & Stronegger, 2019; NCD-RisC, 2017), with projections indicating a continued increase (Thomas et al., 2014).
The prevalence of obesity among residents in nursing homes is also on the rise, potentially impacting required nursing care, facility provisions, and morbidity rates. A US study revealed a significant increase in obesity prevalence among newly admitted nursing home residents, rising from 16.9% to 25.8% over ten years (Cai, Rahman et al., 2013). Additionally, residents with moderate or severe obesity had a 15.0% higher likelihood of developing pressure ulcers compared to non-obese residents in the same facility, highlighting associated health risks.
Unfortunately, increased body mass often leads to reduced mobility, complicating care tasks such as repositioning and increasing the risk of secondary health issues, all contributing to pressure ulcer development risk factors.
Ensuring accessible care for all is paramount, particularly in private and non-purpose-built nursing homes. Considering these statistics, it’s evident that plus-sized patients require specialised care with the appropriate equipment. However, this presents its own challenges for both care homes and community equipment providers.
Sourcing the required equipment can be challenging. This leads to many care providers lacking the necessary equipment to support bariatric individuals, especially in larger quantities. This impacts timely care delivery, care home admissions, and patient discharge from hospitals.
Residences may also face infrastructure limitations hindering care for plus sized individuals further complicating care provision. Acute care environments recommend spacious rooms for plus sized patients, posing a further challenge for many long-term care settings (Muir, 2009).
At Prism Healthcare Group, we are dedicated to easing the burden of sourcing and fitting bariatric equipment, allowing caregivers to concentrate on delivering high-quality care. Our Prism Plus line features an extensive range of bariatric products designed to streamline selection, backed by knowledgeable customer service and sales teams ready to address any challenges.
Our products are designed to enhance the quality of life for residents and caregivers, ensuring equitable access to care and support.
Please visit our Prism Plus pages for more information on our plus-size offering.
References
Großschädl, F., Schoberer, D., Eglseer, D., Lohrmann, C., Everink, I., Gordon, A. L., Schols, J. M. G. A., & Bauer, S. (2023). Obesity and its associated factors in older nursing home residents in three European countries—Secondary data analyses from the “International Prevalence Measurement of Care Quality”. International Journal of Older People Nursing, 18, e12530.
Cai, S., M. Rahman and O. Intrator (2013). “Obesity and pressure ulcers among nursing home residents.” Medical care 51(6): 478-486.
Muir, M. (2009) “Space Planning for the Bariatric Patient.” Bariatric Times.
Join us from January 29th at the Dubai World Trade Centre to explore our comprehensive healthcare offering.
Prism Healthcare is excited to announce its presence at Arab Health 2024. Our expert team will be available to engage in insightful discussions about our extensive healthcare solutions tailored for paediatric, home, and long-term care.
As a leading player in the healthcare sector, Prism Healthcare is committed to providing affordable and clinically effective products that empower healthcare professionals and enhance the quality of life for individuals in their homes or long-term care facilities.
Our Comprehensive Portfolio
Prism Healthcare’s diverse portfolio encompasses equipment for safe patient handling, bathing, accessibility, speciality seating, and pressure area care. Recent additions to our healthcare range include the Asiento, Freeway Flow and Cadence Bed.
- Asiento has been created to achieve improved postural support and symmetry. It is designed for children, teenagers and adults with moderate to complex needs and offers many benefits, including improved interaction, breathing and eating.
- The Freeway Flow tilting shower cradle is the natural progression for individuals who require more support and stability than a traditional shower chair can provide. Available in various widths, the cradle is designed to fit most showers and comes with a range of features that make it both comfortable and hygienic.
- The Cadence Bed Range is a high-end profiling bed designed for the ever-evolving needs of the care home market. Its standout feature is the ability to be fully customised to meet each home’s unique needs and preferences.
A Holistic Approach to Care
Beyond being a leading manufacturer and supplier, Prism Healthcare takes pride in its holistic approach to care. Exceptional care requires more than just products, and with a rich history in the care industry, Prism Healthcare offers supplementary services such as assessment, training, installation, and service and repair in a commitment to supporting the broader care community.
Meet Prism Healthcare at Arab Health 2024
Arab Health 2024 provides a unique opportunity to connect with Prism Healthcare’s dedicated team. Visit the UK pavilion and stop by Stand H2.D34 to catch up, exchange ideas, and discuss any specific requirements or projects where Prism Healthcare may be able to offer valuable assistance.
Meet Our Booth Team
- Lee Reeves, Group Development Director
- Becky Pearson, EMEA Sales Manager
- Chris Hackett, Product Specialist
Prism Healthcare looks forward to engaging with fellow healthcare professionals, sharing insights, and exploring collaborative opportunities at Arab Health 2024. Transforming lives through specialised care is not just a goal for Prism Healthcare—it’s a commitment that drives the company’s mission to positively impact healthcare communities worldwide.
We were thrilled to be part of the Occupational Therapy Show at Birmingham’s NEC on November 22nd and 23rd, 2023, where Prism Healthcare Group offered a standout presence, showcasing innovation and fostering collaboration.
Group companies Harvest Healthcare, Repose Furniture, Smirthwaite and Prism Medical UK welcomed attendees to stand D40 and proudly showcased some of the group’s latest product offerings. The Freeway Flow Shower Cradle, Asiento Postural Chair, and Cadence Bed Range were among the featured innovations, highlighting the group’s commitment to advancing patient care.
A significant highlight was the collaboration with John Callas, Occupational Therapist and Managing Director of Athena Handling Ltd. Together, we hosted a series of Occupational Therapy-led workshops that resonated well with the audience, showcasing the power of collaboration in the healthcare space.
Looking ahead, Prism Healthcare Group is excited to exhibit at Arab Health on 29th January at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Join us in the UK Healthcare Pavillion, Hall 2, on stand D34, to learn how we can help you.
Please visit our website to learn more about the Prism Healthcare Group of companies or for details on how to contact individual businesses.
Thank you to everyone who visited us. We are excited to reconnect with you at the OT Show 2024.
Highlights of the OT Show
We were delighted to exhibit at Kidz to Adultz North in Manchester on Wednesday where we showcased new product innovations including the bespoke Asiento postural support chair featuring Levitex pressure care relief technology, and our Moving and Handling equipment range.
Our friendly team were on hand offering advice, expertise, and specialist information throughout the event. It was a busy and productive day networking; and great to see so many interested and engaged Occupational Therapists on our stand expressing interest in our Asiento, Supro and Mobile Hoist, in particular. We thoroughly enjoyed the interesting discussions with visitors to our stand and value the feedback. We’re passionate about the products we make and strive to provide our customers with the highest quality products – the interaction and exchange with therapists, children and their families at these trade fairs is valuable for us as we receive direct feedback on our products which we can use for further enhancements.
Kidz to Adultz events are dedicated to children and young adults with disabilities and additional needs, their parents, carers and the professionals who support them.
The Smirthwaite team are looking forward to showcasing our products at the Occupational Therapy Show on the Prism Healthcare (stand D40, Hall 6) which takes place at the Birmingham NEC from 23-24 November 2023. As we return to the OT Show for the first time as a Group under Prism Healthcare, we have adopted a cleaner look and feel to how we display our innovative range of products. We will have a significantly larger area than we’ve had previously. A larger floor space will allow us to demonstrate the breadth of our portfolio, encompassing products for the paediatric, home and long-term care sectors, as well as showing several product demonstrations.
To learn more about Smirthwaite, visit: https://www.smirthwaite.co.uk/ and to see more information on the Occupational Therapy Show visit: https://www.theotshow.com/welcome
Join Us on November 22nd and 23rd at the NEC Birmingham to Explore Our Comprehensive Range of Products and Expertise
The Prism Healthcare Group, with group companies Harvest Healthcare, Repose Furniture, Prism Medical UK, and Smirthwaite, is thrilled to announce its participation in the upcoming Occupational Therapy (OT) Show, scheduled for November 22nd and 23rd at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, UK.
The OT Show is a premier event in the healthcare industry, bringing together professionals, experts, and companies at the forefront of occupational therapy and healthcare solutions. Prism Healthcare, known for its commitment to enhancing care quality, improving well-being, and transforming lives, is eager to showcase its extensive range of products and services that cater to paediatric, community, and long-term care needs.
Comprehensive Range of Products and Services
At booth D40, visitors can interact with experts from Prism Healthcare and its partner companies. They will be on hand to provide insights and demonstrations of a wide array of products designed to address the diverse requirements of the healthcare sector.
Among the highlights are:
Asiento by Smirthwaite
Smirthwaite is a respected designer and manufacturer of bespoke equipment for children and young adults with additional needs.
Asiento has been designed specifically for children, teenagers and adults with moderate to complex needs. Created to achieve improved postural support and symmetry, the Asiento delivers many benefits to the user and those around them, including:
- enhanced eye contact and communication
- improved interaction, breathing and eating
- greater participation in play and activities.
Harvest Healthcare’s Profiling Beds:
Explore Harvest Healthcare’s two distinct profiling bed ranges: the Woburn Bed Range and the Cadence Bed Range.
The Woburn Bed Range is designed to provide support to users. Electronically operated, it offers ease of movement and comfort for both patients and caregivers.
The Cadence Bed Range is a high-end profiling bed designed for the ever-evolving needs of the care home market. Its standout feature is the ability to be fully customised to meet each home’s unique needs and preferences.
Both bed ranges come with a 5-year warranty and advanced safety and comfort features, ensuring residents receive a highly personalised and comfortable care experience.
Boston Healthcare Chair from Repose Furniture
Repose Furniture is a leading designer and manufacturer of bespoke riser recliners and healthcare chairs. It delivers high-quality seating products crucial in improving and simplifying the lives of carers and those they care for.
Explore the Boston Porter Chair, a remarkably comfortable health chair with independent movement of the Tilt in Space, Backrest Recline and Leg Rest Elevation functions, enabling a range of postural positions for high-level pressure management care. Available in both a manual and electric model.
Prism Medical UK’s Freeway Flow
Prism Medical UK is a moving, handling and bathing equipment provider with a strong reputation for designing and producing high-quality specialist equipment that enhances the lives of those in need.
The Freeway Flow shower cradle is the natural progression for individuals who require more support and stability than a traditional shower chair can provide. Available in various widths, the cradle is designed to fit most showers and comes with a range of features that make it both comfortable and hygienic.
Interactive Workshops and Clinics
In addition to product showcases, the Prism Healthcare Group is proud to present a series of interactive workshops and clinics in collaboration with John Callas, Occupational Therapist and Managing Director of Athena Handling Ltd. These workshops provide attendees valuable insights into how various speciality equipment can work together to support effective moving and handling in the community.
These sessions will be dynamic and fluid, encouraging attendees to actively participate, ask questions, and propose challenges. Whether you are a seasoned professional or a newcomer to the field, the workshops will provide valuable takeaways to enhance your practice.
The clinics offer an opportunity for one-on-one discussions with our expert team or independent OT, John Callas. This is the perfect setting to address complex cases and gain expert advice.
Our workshops and clinics will run at the following times:
22nd November
- 10.30-11.15 – Shower chairs and seating workshop
- 11.15-12.00 – Therapist Insight Clinic
- 14.30-15.15 – Beds and hoists workshop
- 15.15-16.00 – Therapist Insight Clinic
23rd November
- 10.30-11.15 – Beds and hoists workshop
- 11.15-12.00 – Therapist Insight Clinic
- 13.30-14.15 – Shower chairs and seating workshop
- 14.15-15.00 – Therapist Insight Clinic
Join Us at Stand D40
Prism Healthcare Group looks forward to welcoming you to stand D40 at the OT Show 2023. Come and explore our comprehensive range of healthcare solutions, gain insights from industry experts, and participate in engaging workshops and clinics.
Don’t miss this chance to participate in an event promoting excellence in occupational therapy and healthcare. Mark your calendars for November 22nd and 23rd, and we’ll see you at the NEC Birmingham. Together, we can transform lives and make a difference in the world of healthcare.
For more information about the Prism Healthcare group of companies, please visit our About Us pages.
Prism Healthcare, a leading healthcare solutions provider, is thrilled to announce its participation in REHACARE 2023. The event will take place from 13th to 16th September in Dusseldorf, where Prism Healthcare will showcase a diverse range of life-transforming products from its group brands, including Harvest Healthcare, Prism Medical UK, Repose Furniture and Smirthwaite.
With a collective focus on quality, innovation and client-centricity, the participating brands will present products designed to enhance independence, comfort, and overall well-being in paediatric, home and long-term care environments. Attendees can expect to explore various products, including solutions for safe patient handling, pressure area care, paediatric care, premium speciality seating and more.
“We are honoured to return to REHACARE in 2023 and to showcase the remarkable products from across our group,” said Lee Reeves, Group Development Director at Prism Healthcare. “Our mission is to positively impact the lives of individuals with diverse needs, and this event provides an ideal platform to connect with people who can make a difference with our life-enhancing solutions.”
Join us at stand G35-3 in hall 5 to say hello, learn more about our products and services, and have an opportunity to get hands-on with our care solutions.
Please find out more about Prism Healthcare and its portfolio of life-transforming products.
Prism Medical UK, a leading designer and manufacturer of affordable, clinically effective healthcare products, is delighted to announce a new partnership supporting the continued education of healthcare students.
Partnering with the University of Central Lancashire, Prism Medical UK has provided a range of market-leading healthcare devices to enhance healthcare education at the university. In return, Prism Medical UK will have access to the facility to support us in running training and educational health-based workshops.
Over 3,000 students on a variety of Allied Health Professional programmes, including occupational therapy, physiotherapy and nurse education, will have the opportunity to get hands-on experience with equipment such as our Freeway TA180 transfer aid, T80 shower chair and a variety of slings and moving and handling aids. Prism Medical UK’s sister company, Harvest Healthcare, has supported this collaboration by providing a Woburn Community Profiling bed. We also installed our new Freeway TX Advanced ceiling track hoist with a quick-release trolley and an H-system layout.
Chris Claydon-Butler, Managing Director for Prism Medical UK, commented, “Training and education are fundamental to achieving high-quality care. We are delighted to have the opportunity to support our next generation of healthcare professionals. This partnership is an excellent chance to help students reach their educational goals, provide them with the resources they need to succeed and train our future stars in this industry. We hope this training facility will help ensure everyone can access the best possible medical care.”
Tara Brookes, Principal Lecturer, School of Nursing, University of Central Lancashire, said, “We are delighted to be working in collaboration with Prism Medical UK. The partnership will not only support our current simulated learning strategy but enable students studying on health-related course to learn in an environment reflective of contemporary healthcare. Additionally, we are delighted in return to support Prism Medical UK through the provision of clinical learning spaces to provide training for Occupational Therapists in the Northwest area.”
We are excited to see what this collaboration will bring for the students and look forward to working closely with the University of Central Lancashire.
Please get in touch if you’d like to find out how Prism Medical UK can help you or discover more about their new range of ceiling track hoists. To discuss healthcare beds, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team at Harvest Healthcare.
Prism Healthcare Group is excited to showcase its range of specialist equipment at the upcoming National Association of Equipment Providers (NAEP) event. The event will take place on the 13th and 14th of June at the Chesford Grange Hotel and Spa in Kenilworth, and we will be located on stands 33 and 3/4.
Prism Medical UK, a part of the Prism Healthcare Group, will attend on stand 33 and showcase a range of products, including the new Freeway Flow shower cradle. This innovative product provides maximum comfort and support during showering, making it an ideal solution for those with mobility challenges. Visitors to the stand will also see other solutions from our bathing, moving and handling range, including the Freeway TX Advanced ceiling track hoist, TA180 transfer aid, and Freeway Height Adjustable shower chair.
Harvest Healthcare, another part of the Prism Healthcare Group, will also exhibit at the event on stands 3/4. They will showcase some of their products designed specifically for use in Community Care. They will also introduce their new state-of-the-art pressure care solution; AirSet cushion. It combines the benefits of foam and air to provide optimal pressure relief.
In addition to the product showcase, visitors to the Prism Healthcare Group will have the opportunity to win a fantastic prize by completing our ‘Word Quest’ and have a complimentary glass of bubbly by collecting a wristband from either stand. Our teams look forward to welcoming visitors to our stands and discussing how we can help with assessment, supply, installation, service and repair, and training for specialist care equipment.
“We are thrilled to be exhibiting at NAEP 2023 and to have the opportunity to showcase our latest products and solutions,” said Lee Reeves, Commercial Director, Prism Medical UK. “Our team looks forward to welcoming visitors to our stand, discussing their needs and requirements, and demonstrating how our products and services can help make care easier for them.”
If you’re attending NAEP 2023, visit us at stands 33 and 3/4 to say hello, learn more about our products and services, and enter the prize draw. We look forward to seeing you there.
We are delighted to announce the new strategic partnership we’ve formed with IoT Solutions Group [IoTSG], a specialist provider of Internet of Things [IoT] enabled solutions for both the public and private sector. This partnership will enable us to advance our product offering and expand into the ‘Smart Healthcare’ space, in line with growing market demands.
At Prism Healthcare, our mission is to transform the quality of life of people with health and mobility conditions by providing solutions that offer choice, value for money, and help make care delivery easier. In addition to this, one of our key strategic objectives is to express our personality by connecting with our market, prescribers, and customers. Our partnership with IoTSG not only demonstrates our commitment to our mission but will also help us to achieve this goal.
By securing IoTSG as our new technology partner, we will now be able to extend our level of care to end-users through the deployment of advanced, ‘in-home’ assisted living sensors, which cleverly monitor the daily activity of vulnerable people living independently.
This technology can be simply placed in the kitchen of a vulnerable person, where it discreetly and unobtrusively monitors their day-to-day activity. In response to any significant decrease in a resident’s activity levels, a customised alert can be sent to carers or family members, enabling swift and appropriate action to be taken and thereby significantly minimising the risk of severe injury or death.
Speaking about the new partnership, our CCO, Claire Litton, said: “We’re delighted to have partnered with IoT Solutions Group and to have their support in achieving our aspirations to move into the ‘Smart Healthcare’ space.
“The future of healthcare truly lies in technology like this, and we take pride in enhancing the products and services we provide for the benefit of vulnerable people living independently and their loved ones.” To find out more about IoT Solutions Group, go to https://www.iotsg.co.uk/.
1st March 2022
We are pleased to announce that Prism Healthcare has a new investor – Charme Capital Partners (London). Charme will be the majority investor supported by our existing investor Limerston Capital.
Under Limerston’s ownership and guidance, Prism Healthcare has consolidated its position as a market leader in Homecare and Long Term Care services. Over the last three years the business has doubled in size, acquired additional services and products to become the most comprehensive provider in the country by helping our customers make caring easier for their clients.
Charme’s investment will support the Group’s expansion plans through the continued development of its high-quality offering, investments in IT and UK manufacturing to enable the very best client care. Charme will also support the Group’s growth via acquisition, both in the UK and internationally.
Paul Morton, CEO of Prism Healthcare, remarked:
“We are thrilled to welcome Charme as a new investor in Prism Healthcare to support the Group’s continued development. We are confident that Charme is the right partner, with the right skills and experience, to help us realise our ambitious growth objectives. We are excited to embark on a new chapter for Prism Healthcare, whilst continuing to support our customers and their clients in homecare, long term care and the paediatric market by making care easier.”
