Contract beds for the elderly and disabled

In the nursing and healthcare industry caring for the elderly is a big part of the job. Nursing homes, retirement villages and residential care homes specialise in this particular area. As a person gets older they find themselves experiencing and facing various physical ailments that hamper their health and affect their quality of life. A common struggle amongst more mature people is that they suffer with back problems and severe disabilities; a contributing factor to this is that the contract beds they sleep in are not designed to support and aide them appropriately enough.

It is important in the nursing and healthcare industry to accommodate and understand the needs and requirements of your residents/patients. Caring for them means looking after their well-being and it is common for elderly people to spend time napping, resting and recovering. They need to be able to do this in the right kind of quality and comfort.

Contract beds for the healthcare industry

Millbrook contract beds understand this need and the importance of quality and comfort factors in contract beds more than anyone. That’s why the collections we offer cater to these scenarios, ailments and industries.

As a retirement or residential care home it is paramount that the contract beds should be functional and well designed. Adjustable contract beds are the finest choice in this regard as they offer up refinement, relaxation, the opportunities for recuperation and a standard of luxury that can only benefit someone of an ailing disposition.

Millbrook Contract Beds offers its Healthcare collection as the perfect choice for the elderly or unable. There are two contract beds in the collection that tailor themselves to the needs of a patient/resident or guest that suffers from any kind of physical discomfort.

The Therapy is a contract bed that is highly beneficial to health and fully responsive to body contours. It has a five way adjustable position, operated by handset control, which gives independence to the person sleeping in it. The pocket spring mattress has a heat sensitive vicso memory foam feature that ensures absolute comfort and soothing bliss. The Therapy comes with a massage option also; perfect for all the little aches and pains.

The Therapy contract bed

The Purity has been described as “an opulent action bed” that, as with The Therapy, comes with the five way adjustable action and integral handset control. It has a choice of comfort levels too. This contract bed is a sophisticated brand of luxury and comes available with smart corner protectors and leg design. All the care someone might need in a bed and at the touch of a button.

The Purity contract bed

As a care home or care service it is vital to invest in contract beds that encourage good sleep and help to sustain frail or disabled bodies in a tranquil harmony. You must keep up and upgrade your facilities in the wake of other competitors increasing their numbers due to the quality facilities that they have for use in their homes. Old age pensioners and retired persons search for a home that reflects in its facilities, particularly its beds, a consideration for age and immobility. The Healthcare collection exemplifies high standards of care.

A contract bed developed and designed for healthcare industries can be the difference between improved or worsened health, sometimes, in even more severe cases, it can be the difference between a longer or shorter life. The Therapy and the Purity could be the key factors in making a residential care facility or nursing home, the place worth retiring too.

Contract beds for children

If you’re a family run establishment or if you are a youth based service holiday provider, then you may not always consider the impact of the right kind of contract bed for guests.

In reality it is the contract beds that young guests actually sleep in that gives them the blissful good-night’s rest they very much need and perhaps (although not always) a good way of getting them settled more easily.

A decent night’s sleep for a child is essential to their development in terms of learning, and their psychical and emotional growth and a lot of parents these days, put considerable emphasis not only on their own sleeping arrangements while on holiday, but that of their children.  It is important to provide children with the benefits of a good sleep which focuses their minds, releases growth hormones and encourages bodily development. When considering a child’s sleep, you must factor in the environment that surrounds them and the contract bed that you put them to sleep in. So what is the best option for children in terms of contract beds?

Contract beds should be comfortable but also provide enough storage space beneath the sleeping surface for any toys or games that they may have with them. The right mattress is essential to give the correct support for growing muscles and bones. Millbrook contract beds offer suitable bed and mattress types in the Academic Collection that offer support, comfort and space.

The Residence contract bed has a PVC mattress cover and is highly practical and durable in many types of locations. It is hard wearing and comfortable with non standard sizes available to suit a child’s individual size requirements.

The Residence

The Campus is similarly appropriate, featuring open coil springs with a bed frame available with fixed or detachable legs. Once again, there are non-standard size options to suit particular child requirements.

The Campus

Practicality needs to be combined with economy in some cases and the Academic collection is a fine choice to suit the needs and requirements of both of those things. All of the bases are sturdy and there is a veritable choice selection of bed frames and legs. The Space-Saver designs can also give you the flexibility to provide extra beds if you are required to do so.

Always buy contract beds for children brand new! Never give a child a hand-me-down mattress. Second hand items such as this will only cause the very problems you are trying to avoid for growing children.

The main tips for making children’s sleep experience as safe and sound as possible when providing for their sleeping facilities are:

Gently vacuum the contract bed and mattress regularly to suck up any dust or fluff, particularly if the child suffers from a form of asthma. It is always important to establish when children are staying in a room if there are any ailments, illnesses or allergies that they may suffer from in order to prepare the room accordingly.

If the sprung mattress is a non-turn, it should be turned over once a week for the first month and thereafter every three months. Refer to manufacture details for particular specifics. Turning helps the fillings to settle down evenly.

Do not let the child jump up and down or bounce on the mattress, for the obvious safety reasons, but also because it damages the mattress. It is not just the sole responsibility of the parents, carers and/or guardians to ensure that the children behave sensibly at bedtime when staying in your establishment. Every child needs to go to bed at a reasonable time and if you have other guests, you do not want them to be disturbed. This only emphasises the vital importance of providing the best contract beds for kids. The better and more appropriate the contract bed, the longer and deeper the sleep of the child.

Caring for children’s contract beds should require the same care and consideration that goes into caring for adult contract beds. Parents appreciate when their children go to bed so they can have some time to themselves and it can be a blessing to them if the children are comfortably asleep with a reassurance that they are tucked up in the right kind of contract bed. As a hotelier you can increase your capacity for clientele and your annual business by becoming more family-friendly through providing the appropriate contract beds with the ability to turn a single room into a twin, or a double room into a family room share.

Contact Millbrook Contract Beds for more information or advice.

Contract beds for children

Thinking of buying a mattress without the contract bed?

If you are planning on buying a contract bed but would prefer to select the mattress and bed base as separate items you should talk to Millbrook Contract Beds first.

People often think that a mattress is what makes a contract bed a comfortable contract bed, when in reality it is actually the bed base that comprises all the qualities which make contract beds comfortable and durable, with the mattress completing the picture.

We usually advise that you purchase a contract bed with a contract mattress at the same time, as this is generally a lot better and more sensible in terms of prolonging the life of your contract bed and mattress.

The problem with purchasing only the mattress for a contract bed is that you have ‘part-worn’ with new – a bit like changing only two of your car tyres rather than all four.  It’s generally okay but you will never get the full affect if you only change part of the package.

Surprisingly perhaps, it is actually also more economical to change both mattress and contract bed at the same time than you would imagine, with prices starting from just £150 for a 3 foot single bed (in our Hotel range).

However, if you are intent on buying only contract mattresses then you may find the information below of use in making the right choice.

Pocket Springs Mattress – This is probably of the highest quality when it comes to contract bed mattresses as every spring has its very own individual pocket, which is sewn in such a way that it keeps it completely separate from the other springs.  What this does is allows the very best in terms of comfort to guests and of course quality of sleep.

Our DPSS® (Double pocket spring system) is what you would deem as providing superior quality.  As the name suggests, you get all the comfort of an individually sprung mattress but doubled!  As you can imagine in terms of support this mattress really is luxury but more importantly it is also designed to offer longevity.

Other things to consider

Now aside from the type of mattress you purchase, the way in which it is manufactured can also play a big part in terms of quality of sleep for your guests.

Hand side stitching may seem unimportant to you but in reality it will provide a much better life and level of comfort for your guests, no matter what industry you are in.

Hand-side stitching is a very traditional practice and something that we apply to our range of contract beds.  What it basically means is that the stitching used secures the outer springs, which in basic terms prevents what is known as ‘roll-out’.

It does require a lot of skill and is labour intensive to some degree, however when done correctly it can prolong the life of the mattress considerably and of course through other elements means that the area for sleeping goes right up to the edge of the bed.

If you are currently thinking of changing your contract bed or mattress and are looking for luxury or economy then Millbrook Contract Beds will be happy to help.

We offer a free, holistic service tailored to fit with your business and its needs and because we offer such a diverse range of quality contract beds and mattresses, we can usually work to most budgets.

If you need any further information please CONTACT US and we will do our best to assist you.

Maintaining quality control over your contract beds

In the last two blogs, The Sleep Council’s suggestion that beds should be replaced every seven years, gave us an opportunity to discuss the impact of that particular information on the hotel and leisure industry.

In this third part of the series we will be looking at the best contract beds on offer to implement once the old ones have been moved out, followed by suggestions for improving and maintaining the quality control over the contract beds.

The first thing a guest may do when they arrive in their hotel room is to try out the contract bed; its softness and bounce. Any reputable hotel should be able to give the information on the mattresses and linens being used in the rooms. This information should be easily available and it’s a good idea to make sure your staff know!  The best way to ensure this is by purchasing the best quality contract beds you can find for the finest economical value so we’ve basically put together a little list of what we consider to be good choices when buying a contract bed from our range.

Our International Collection gives you variety and economy and you may want to check the prices out here.

1. The President 2000 is a contract bed that is used quite often in the hotel industry. It is a bed crafted with great care and is available in two different contract mattress types and a variety of sizes that offer comfort, versatility and longevity. Once you factor in the guest experience it should be clear that contract beds are the only way to go.
2. The Executive Contract Bed comes with a zip and link option in a variety of different sizes from single right through to super king. This particular contract bed is very aesthetically pleasing indeed, which can be of importance to a hotel’s overall image and branding.
3. The Club Class is durable and offers long-term reliability. It has a wide range of choice in terms of the base, leg and fabric options so there is a lot more opportunities available to make the contract bed directly reflect the branding of your hotel.
4. The Hotel isn’t called The Hotel for nothing! It has a proven track record and is incredibly popular within the hotel industry. It is the classic firm option bed with open coil springs and a deep mattress.

Compromising on price does not mean compromising on quality if you buy contract beds from a legitimate and reliable source such as Millbrook contract beds.  The difference between an independent B&B and a boutique hotel in the four star range need not be so different when it comes to the contract beds that they have. The B&B needn’t worry about immense cost in order to obtain great quality and the boutique hotel needn’t be concerned with losing any sophistication in style or luxury just because the cost is low. Contract beds are made to last and designed for maximum comfort at affordable prices to fit anyone’s budget.

Guests want to sleep in comfort and in order to give them that level of luxury and satisfaction, all the contract beds need to be considered, looked after and replaced before they become too unsuitable for use so perhaps it is time to introduce a “contract bed quality control” in the management scheme of your hotel. Overall policy could be amended to set-up a new system where beds are turned regularly each month and quality checks are carried out for wear and tear regularly. You could hold a 12 month review which includes guest feedback, if any, that could help to further identify or highlight any problems involving the beds.

The Replacement Cycle that The Sleep Council has suggested will help to increase customer satisfaction and limit complaints handling. Look at the best available contract beds, particularly the ones aimed at the hotelier and leisure industry. Millbrook Contract Beds provide a very choice selection that could help to elevate hotel standards to new heights and make it much easier to manage quality control.

For more information on the ranges of contract beds available please contact us.

Out with the old, in with the new

The previous blog discussed issues that were raised by the findings of The Sleep Council’s research regarding beds needing to be replaced after seven years, rather than the ten we are all accustomed to. We identified what you would need to check in regards to wear and tear with your contract beds and also ways of identifying how old they might be.

In today’s blog we are going to discuss how to resolve the issues of dealing with contract beds that you have categorised as now needing replacement.

The contract beds that exceed the seven year cycle, bearing in mind that commercial contract beds will see a lot of use during their lifespan, will need to be thrown out and the new contract beds moved in. This can create a dilemma in terms of running the day-to-day business of the hotel and moving out old contract beds and then bringing in the new. So how do you avoid losing the ability to achieve maximum room capacity and still maintain high standards of quality control?

There are several possibilities of how to tackle this situation:

1. You can negotiate an agreement with your local council to unburden you of the responsibility but it can be a complicated, sometimes downright frustrating, process. See our previous blog on disposing of your old contract beds.

2.  A local waste disposal expert is usually on hand to offer their services but you can never be sure of how they will eventually dispose of the bed itself. Bearing in mind the environment, it is important to ask these independent disposal experts, if you are so inclined to use one, just how exactly they dispose of their waste. If your hotel is particularly conscious of the environment or is an eco-friendly brand, this might not be the best option to take.

However, going through a local council or an independent source can cost you more time and money than is necessary. There is a better way. If you’re chucking out a used contract bed, you’ll be looking to buy a new one anyway, so why not kill two birds with one stone and save yourself a whole lot of time, effort and money?

3. Millbrook Contract Beds offers a service that picks up your old beds and replaces them with your brand new contract beds, making it cost effective and time efficient. This saves the cost and worry of negotiating with the council or using independent disposal specialists. It speeds up the process and saves the business from having to suffer with rooms not having beds in them at all.  This service offers you the chance to buy the new contract beds you need and at very reasonable extra expense, arrange for the collection and disposal of the old ones. This way you streamline the process, cut out any middlemen and save yourself having to liaise with two or more companies to get these jobs done.

The next blog in this series will discuss the possible options open to hoteliers on what specific contract beds are available to buy and ways of keeping better, more effective quality control with the contract beds, but also do look out on our series of blogs coming up that focus on developing in-house quality control checks that will cover your beds and overall quality of sleep for your clients.