JP7620657B2 - Nursing equipment - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to nursing care technology for bedridden people (those receiving care) who cannot turn over in their sleep without assistance, and in particular, to the fields of manufacturing and providing nursing care equipment that reduces the burden on both the caregiver providing the care and the care recipient receiving the care, as well as the fields of providing and selling the equipment and instruments required for the transportation, storage, assembly and installation of such equipment, the fields of providing the materials required for such materials, machinery and parts, such as wood, stone, various textiles, plastics and various metal materials, the fields of providing the electronic parts incorporated in such equipment and the control-related equipment that integrates them, and the fields of providing and selling the equipment and instruments required for the transportation, storage, assembly and installation of such equipment and instruments, as well as ... and selling the equipment and instruments required for the transportation, storage, assembly and installation of such equipment and instruments, as well as the fields of providing the equipment and instruments required for the transportation, storage, assembly and installation of such equipment and instruments, as well as the fields of providing the equipment and instruments required for the transportation, storage, assembly and installation of such equipment and instruments, as well as the fields of providing the equipment and instruments required for the transportation, storage, assembly and installation of such equipment and instruments, as well as the fields of providing the equipment and instruments required for the transportation, storage, assembly and installation of such equipment and instruments, as well as the fields of providing the equipment and instruments required for the transportation, storage, assembly and installation of such equipment and instruments, as well as the fields of providing the equipment and instruments required for the transportation, storage, assembly and installation of such equipment and instruments, as well as the fields of providing There is practically no technical field that is not related to this field, including fields generally referred to as industrial machinery, such as the power generation field, various measuring instruments, the power machinery that drives the equipment and tools, the electricity that provides the energy, and the electricity and oil that are the energy sources for these, as well as fields related to the testing, research, exhibition, sale, import and export of such equipment and tools, fields related to the collection and transportation of waste generated from the operation of the equipment and tools used to make them, and the recycling field that efficiently reuses such waste, as well as new fields that cannot be imagined at this time.

(Point of interest)
For those who are unable to move freely, when preventing bedsores, wiping down, changing diapers, etc., the caregiver must move the caregiver from a supine position by pulling the shoulders, back, waist, etc. upward and pushing the caregiver into a side-lying position, or the caregiver positioned in front of the caregiver when the caregiver is in a side-lying position must grab the arm of the caregiver who is in a supine position farther from the caregiver and pull it, or pull down the knees of the caregiver who is kneeling, in order to change the position of the caregiver into a side-lying position. Since these actions are repeated many times a day, they are a task that places a great physical and mental burden on not only the caregiver but also the caregiver.

PRIOR ART
Reflecting this situation, it is not surprising that a number of proposals have been made to date that serve as solutions to the problem.
For example, as proposed in Patent Document 1 below, a bed support includes an attachment part for detachably attaching to a fence body that stands upright from the side of the bed, a bendable belt, and an axis part connected to one end of the belt, and the belt can be wrapped around the axis and stored, allowing the cared for person to turn from a supine position to a sideward position. Also, if the belt is wrapped around the axis and stored, when there is no need to turn, the belt will not be placed on the top surface of the bed, thereby easing the discomfort of the cared for person. Furthermore, when the belt part is wound around the shaft and stored, the nursing aid becomes compact overall, and since the attachment part is detachable, it can be used interchangeably with a number of beds, making it economical and easy to carry, thereby reducing the burden on the caregiver. As seen in Patent Document 2, there is an aid for rolling over a cared-for person with their legs spread apart, and the aid is large enough to be placed between the legs of the cared-for person in a supine position, and has leg holding grooves on both left and right sides that are deep enough to fit snugly inside the legs of the cared-for person, and when the left and right legs of the cared-for person in a supine position are fitted into the leg holding grooves of the aid, the torso of the cared-for person and the aid become as a whole as one log. and a leg-opening type turning assistance device in which the legs of the cared person are kept open and one caregiver places their hands on the cared person's torso and the assistance device, and rolls the cared person's torso and the assistance device over at the same time, thereby changing the position of the cared person between supine and side-lying positions. Also, as disclosed in Patent Document 3, a turning assistance device is provided which is provided with a number of annular members arranged horizontally of the cared person and having a space inside that can surround the cared person's body, and connecting members arranged vertically of the cared person and connecting each of the annular members, and which can be rotated horizontally while each annular member surrounds the cared person's body, thereby allowing the cared person to turn over.

However, the care aid shown in the former Patent Document 1 requires that the belt be inserted between the mattress of the bed and the back or waist of the care recipient, and then wrapped around the body of the care recipient before use, and the care recipient's body is then raised from a supine position to a side-lying position, which requires the care recipient and the caregiver to lift the back or waist of the care recipient slightly before use, which places a burden on the care recipient and the caregiver. The leg-opening type turning aid in Patent Document 2 ties the legs of the care recipient in an open position to make it easy to lift the care recipient from a supine position to a side-lying position, but it requires the care recipient's shoulders and torso to be raised at the same time, which places a burden on the caregiver, and if the legs and torso are not raised at the same time, the body may be twisted, causing pain to the care recipient. Furthermore, when attaching the turning aid described in Patent Document 3 to a person receiving care, it is necessary to insert a circular member between the bed mattress and the back, waist, and legs of the person receiving care, and the person receiving care cannot be accommodated in the turning aid unless the person's body is lifted up. This can cause a great deal of strain on both the person receiving care and the caregiver when attaching and removing the turning aid.

JP 2006-158573 A Patent No. 2580492 specification Utility Model Registration No. 3132543

(Issues)
As mentioned above, all of the various turning aids that have been proposed up to now impose pain and suffering on both the care recipient and the caregiver when putting on the equipment. We have come to realise the need for the development of new care equipment technology that can alleviate the pain and suffering of the care recipient when putting on such turning aids, as well as reduce the physical and mental burden on the caregiver, and furthermore, in light of the increasing elderly population and the shortage of care workers, can significantly reduce the burden placed on a caregiver when assisting a care recipient with turning in bed.

(Objective of the Invention)
Therefore, this invention was conceived based on the determination that it would be possible to develop a new nursing care tool technology that would reduce the physical and mental burden on both the care recipient and the caregiver when changing the position of the care recipient from a supine to a lateral position, and would also make it easier to put on existing turning aids. Development and research into this technology was quickly undertaken, and after a long period of trial and error and numerous prototypes and experiments, we have now finally succeeded in realizing a nursing care tool with a new structure and a nursing care method that utilizes it. The configuration will be described in detail below, along with a representative embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings.

(Configuration of the invention)
As can be clearly understood from the representative embodiment of the present invention shown in the drawings, the nursing care tool of the present invention is basically composed of the following components.
In other words, this nursing care equipment is comprised of a large, hard, smooth plate with a left-right width and length dimension capable of supporting at least the back of the person being cared for, one of the left and right edges being an insertion edge, a turning assistance plate having a handle portion on the other left or right edge opposite the insertion edge, and at least a pair of hard, smooth upper and lower guide plates whose width dimension is set to 1/6 to 1/2 of the length dimension of the turning assistance plate and whose length dimension from tip to base end is set to be greater than or equal to the left-right width dimension of the turning assistance plate, in combination with the turning assistance plate.

A nursing care tool having this basic structure, if expressed differently, is made of a large, smooth, hard plate with a width dimension between the left and right and a length dimension that can support at least the back of the person being cared for, and has a turning support plate with one of the left and right edges as an insertion edge and a handle portion on the other edge of the left or right edge opposite the insertion edge, and has a width dimension set to 1/6 to 1/2 of the length dimension of the turning support plate, and a length dimension from the tip to the base end set to be equal to or greater than the width dimension between the left and right of the turning support plate. A pair of hard, smooth double upper and lower guide plates are combined with the turning support plate, and the turning support plate is inserted between at least the back of the person in supine position and the bedding such as a mattress that is in contact with it from the outside of either the left or right side of the person in supine position, between the base ends of at least a pair of double upper and lower guide plates that are inserted from the tip end, as if being guided from the insertion edge, and is positioned so as to support at least the back area of the person in supine position, resulting in a nursing care tool configured to be able to assist the caregiver in changing the position to a lateral position.

More specifically, the nursing care equipment is made up of a hard, smooth large plate with a left-right width dimension and a length dimension that can support at least the back of the person being cared for, one of the left and right edges being an insertion edge, a turning assistance plate with a handle portion provided on the other of the left and right edges opposite the insertion edge, and at least a pair of upper and lower guide twin plates consisting of a hard, smooth upper guide small plate and a hard, smooth lower guide large plate, the width dimension of which is set to 1/6 to 1/2 the length dimension of the turning assistance plate and the length dimension from the tip to the base end of which is set to be equal to or greater than the left-right width dimension of the turning assistance plate, combined with the turning assistance plate.

More specifically, the care equipment is a combination of a leg binding device consisting of a leg-holding cast having a partition section shaped to be sandwiched between the legs of a care recipient, a shallow arc-shaped cylinder section that fits less than 1/3 of the diameter of the care recipient's leg at the bottom of the partition section when the care recipient is in a lateral position, and a deep arc-shaped cylinder section that fits more than 1/3 of the diameter of the care recipient's leg at the top of the partition section when the care recipient is in a lateral position, and at least one binding belt that is wrapped around both of the legs of the care recipient that are sandwiched between the leg-holding cast, in addition to any of the turning assistance plates and up and down guide double plates described above.

(Related invention 1)
The present invention relates to the above-mentioned nursing care tool which is the basis of the present invention, and also includes a nursing care method using the same.
In other words, at least a pair of upper and lower guide plates are inserted from their tips from the outside of either the left or right side of the cared for between at least the back of the cared for in a supine position and the bedding such as a mattress in contact therewith, and then a turning assistance plate is inserted between the at least one pair of upper and lower guide plates from its insertion edge, and the turning assistance plate is slid, using the upper and lower guide plates as a guide, to at least the area below the back of the cared for, and then each pair of upper and lower guide plates is removed, and the handle portion of the turning assistance plate is grasped and pulled upward using the insertion edge of the turning assistance plate as a fulcrum to place the cared for in a lateral position.This is a care method using any one of the care tools described above that forms the basis of this invention.

To be more specific, this care method involves placing the partition section of the leg-holding cast of the leg-binding device between the legs of the care recipient in the supine position, fitting the shallow arc tube section to the leg that will be the lower side when the care recipient is in the lateral position, and fitting the deep arc tube section to the leg that will be the upper side when the care recipient is in the lateral position, and then wrapping at least one of the binding belts of the leg-binding device around both legs to bring the legs together in an aligned state. Then, inserting at least one pair of upper and lower double guide plates from their tips from the outside of either the left or right side of the care recipient between at least the back of the care recipient in the supine position and the bedding such as a mattress in contact with it, and then inserting the at least one pair of upper and lower guide plates from their tips from the outside of either the left or right side of the care recipient. A turning aid plate is inserted between the guide plates starting from its insertion edge, and the turning aid plate is slid along the upper and lower guide plates until it is at least below the back area of the person being cared for, and then each pair of upper and lower guide plates is removed. The handle of the turning aid plate is grasped, and the turning aid plate is pulled upward using the insertion edge of the turning aid plate as a fulcrum to place the person being cared for in a lateral position, after which the binding belt and the leg-holding cast are removed from the legs of the person being cared for. This can be said to be a care method that utilizes a care tool to which a leg-binding device consisting of the leg-holding cast and binding belt has been added.

To express this care method in another way, the partition part of the leg-holding cast of the leg binding device is placed between the legs of the care recipient in the supine position, the shallow circular arc tube part is fitted to the leg that will be the lower side when the care recipient is in the lateral position, and the deep circular arc tube part is fitted to the leg that will be the upper side when the care recipient is in the lateral position, and then at least one of the binding belts of the leg binding device is wrapped around both legs to align the legs together, and then at least one upper guide small plate of at least one pair of upper and lower guide twin plates is inserted from its tip between at least the back of the care recipient in the supine position and the bedding such as a mattress that is in contact with it from the outside of either the left or right side of the care recipient, and then at least one lower guide large plate of at least one pair of upper and lower guide twin plates is inserted from its tip between the base end of the upper guide small plate and the bedding such as a mattress from the outside of either the left or right side of the care recipient, and then the upper guide small plate of the at least one pair of upper and lower guide twin plates and the lower guide small plate of the at least one pair of upper and lower guide twin plates are inserted from their tip. A turning aid plate is inserted between the large guide plate and the small upper guide plate and slid in at least to the lower back area of the person being cared for, using the small upper guide plate and the large lower guide plate as guides, and then each pair of upper and lower guide plates is removed. The handle of the turning aid plate is grasped and the turning aid plate is pulled upward using the insertion edge of the turning aid plate as a fulcrum to place the person being cared for in a lateral position. The body of the person being cared for in a lateral position is then stably held in a lateral position using an existing lateral position maintaining device fixed to the peripheral fixing parts, and at least one of the binding belts and the leg holding cast of the leg binding device are removed from both legs of the person being cared for. This can be said to be a care method using a care device in which the upper and lower guide plates are made up of a small upper guide plate and a large lower guide plate, and a leg binding device consisting of the leg holding cast and the binding belt is added.

As described above, the nursing care tool of this invention is different from conventional ones in that, due to the unique characteristic configuration as described above, at least a pair of upper and lower guide plates set to 1/6 to 1/2 of the vertical dimension of the turning aid plate are inserted between at least the back of the person being cared for and the mattress or other bedding before inserting the turning aid plate, and the turning aid plate is inserted using the upper and lower guide plates as guides, so that the turning aid plate can be inserted with low friction, and the turning aid plate supports at least the back of the person being cared for when changing position from supine to lateral position, so that not only can the pain and suffering of the person being cared for when changing positions can be eliminated, but also the outstanding feature of greatly reducing the physical and mental burden on both the person being cared for and the caregiver can be obtained.

In addition, the care equipment has a turning support plate with a width and length dimension set to be able to support the back, essential parts and lower legs of the care recipient, so that the turning support plate can support almost the entire body of the care recipient from the back except for the head and both feet, preventing the weight of the care recipient from being concentrated and distributing it over a wide area, greatly reducing the burden on the care recipient.

In addition, in a care device in which a turning aid is provided with a low-friction sliding section along its insertion edge and a high-friction end section along the very tip of the low-friction sliding section, the low-friction sliding section significantly reduces the frictional resistance when the turning aid is inserted between the upper and lower guide plates, further reducing the burden on the caregiver. In addition, when the care recipient is moved from supine to lateral position, or from lateral position to supine position, the high-friction end section along the very tip of the low-friction sliding section of the insertion edge, which serves as the fulcrum, increases the frictional resistance with the mattress and other bedding, allowing the turning aid to be pulled and operated more reliably without slipping, further reducing pain for the care recipient and the burden on the caregiver.

In addition, according to the nursing care equipment of this invention, in which the upper and lower guide plates are a combination of a small upper guide plate and a large lower guide plate, the small upper guide plate, which has the least resistance to insertion, is inserted between at least the back of the person being cared for and the bedding such as a mattress before inserting the turning assistance plate, and then the large lower guide plate is inserted between the small upper guide plate and the bedding such as a mattress. This makes it possible to greatly reduce the resistance to insertion of the upper and lower guide plates, and further reduce the physical and mental burden on both the person being cared for and the caregiver. The insertion edge of the turning aid can be slid along the top surface of the base end of the lower guide plate, which is longer than the upper guide plate, as a guide, and the turning aid can be inserted between the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate. This means that even a single caregiver can easily and quickly position the turning aid at least under the back of the person being cared for, and it also more reliably prevents the person's clothes from getting caught or the body from rubbing against the aid, allowing the person to move from a supine position to a lateral position without pain or discomfort.

Furthermore, the nursing care equipment of this invention, which is further combined with a leg binding device consisting of a leg-holding cast and at least one binding belt, places the leg-holding cast between the legs of the person being cared for and ties them together with at least one binding belt, more reliably preventing the legs of the person being cared for from becoming entangled when moving from a supine to a lateral position, relieving the pain of the person being cared for and greatly improving the work efficiency of the caregiver.

And according to the nursing method using the nursing equipment of this invention, instead of inserting the turning support plate directly between at least the back of the person being cared for in a supine position and the bedding such as a mattress that is in contact with it, at least a pair of upper and lower guide plates are inserted prior to inserting the turning support plate, and then the turning support plate is inserted using the upper and lower guide plates as a guide. This more reliably prevents the clothing of the person being cared for from getting caught or the body being rubbed when the turning support plate is inserted, preventing pain and discomfort, and also significantly reducing the burden on the caregiver, and achieving a significantly more efficient task of moving the person being cared for from a supine position to a lateral position.

In addition, according to the method of using the nursing equipment of this invention, which is a combination of a turning support plate and a pair of upper and lower guide plates, the legs of the care recipient 8 are held together by the leg-holding cast and binding belt of the leg-holding plate, so that the legs are prevented from collapsing when the person is moved from the supine position to the side position. In addition, the shallow arc tube part is fitted to the leg that is positioned on the lower side when the person is in the side position, and the deep arc tube part is fitted to the other leg that is positioned on the upper side. This allows the lower leg to touch the mattress or other bedding, allowing the person to move smoothly and roll around. In addition, the upper leg is held firmly by the deep arc tube part, so that the legs do not collapse, relieving the pain of the person being cared for, and reducing the workload of the caregiver, making it possible to realize more efficient nursing care.

Furthermore, according to a method of using the nursing equipment of this invention, which is a combination of a turning assist plate and a pair of upper and lower guide plates with additional leg binding devices, in conjunction with an existing lateral position maintenance device, the body of the person being cared for, which has been moved from a supine position to a lateral position by the nursing equipment of this invention, is held by the existing lateral position maintenance device and stably supported in the lateral position, making it possible to carry out various procedures such as treatment, wiping, and diaper changes more safely and efficiently.

The best or desirable mode for carrying out the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration will now be described.
The turning support plate is inserted from the outside of either the left or right side of the care recipient between at least the back of the care recipient in a supine position and the bedding such as a mattress in contact therewith, and serves the function of pulling the care recipient from the supine position to a lateral position, and is set to a left-right width dimension and a length dimension capable of supporting at least the back, and is made of a smooth large plate that is hard enough to support with sufficient strength the body of the care recipient whose position is changed from the supine position to the lateral position, and one of the left and right edges is an insertion edge, and the insertion edge A handle portion must be provided on either the left or right edge opposite the turning support plate, and it is desirable that the left and right width and length of the turning support plate be set to dimensions that can support either the range covering the back and vital parts of the person being cared for, or the range covering the back, vital parts and lower legs, and it is possible for the cross-sectional shape when traversed from either the left or right edge to the other left or right edge to be slightly curved with a gentle concave curvature to follow the curvature of the person being cared for.

The insertion edge of the turning aid should be a hard, smooth large plate with either the left or right edge beveled so that it can come into contact with sheets, clothing, etc. with low friction. It is desirable to have a low-friction sheet attached to the front and back of either the left or right edge of the width dimension of the turning aid over a range of several mm to several cm, or to have a low-friction sliding section with a low-friction reducing part such as resin, natural stone, artificial stone, or metal fitted or embedded therein over a range of several mm to several cm from either the left or right edge, with the smooth surface continuing. A high-friction end made of a part such as natural or synthetic rubber for friction can be integrated into the tip of the insertion edge or low-friction sliding section to more reliably fix the fulcrum when lifting.

The handle of the turning aid serves the function of reducing the burden on the caregiver's hands and arms when the turning aid is inserted between at least the back of the care recipient in a supine position and the mattress or other bedding that is in contact with it, and to make it easier to grip when carrying it, a recess may be provided in the area that will become the handle of the turning aid, and a rod-shaped handle may be installed in the recess, or, as shown in the examples described below, a bulging grip made of high-friction soft resin may be provided.

The upper and lower guide plates are inserted between at least the back of the person in supine position and the bedding such as a mattress in contact with it before inserting the turnover support plate, and serve the function of reducing the frictional force resisting the insertion of the turnover support plate and assisting in the insertion of the turnover support plate with less force. The pair of upper and lower guide plates can be of the same shape and size, or can be set to different shapes and sizes. As shown in the examples described later, they can be made up of at least a pair of upper small guide plates and lower large guide plates that are larger than the upper small guide plates. Considering the workability of the caregiver and the reduction of the burden on the person in care, it is preferable to have either two pairs of upper small guide plates and lower large guide plates, or three pairs of upper small guide plates and lower large guide plates, as shown in the examples described later.

The upper guide small plate of the upper and lower guide twin plates is inserted first between at least the back of the person in the supine position and the bedding such as a mattress in contact with it, prior to inserting the lower guide large plate and the turning support plate, and serves to guide the upper side (the person in the supine position) of the lower guide large plate and the turning support plate that are inserted subsequently, and is a hard and smooth small plate-like plate whose width is set to 1/6 to 1/2 of the vertical dimension of the turning support plate and whose length from the tip to the base is set to be equal to or greater than the horizontal width dimension between the left and right sides of the turning support plate. It is desirable for the width of the tip to be smaller than the width of the base end, and the tip of the upper guide plate can be provided with a low-friction sliding part similar to the insertion edge of the aforementioned turning aid plate, and the rear end of the same guide plate can be provided with a rod-shaped handle or a bulging grip made of high-friction soft resin similar to the handle part of the aforementioned turning aid plate, and furthermore, the cross-sectional shape when cut longitudinally from the tip to the base end can be slightly curved with a gentle concave curvature to follow the curvature of the carer's back.

The large lower guide plate of the twin upper and lower guide plates is inserted between at least the back of the person in the supine position and the bedding such as a mattress that is in contact with it, between the small upper guide plate that has already been inserted and the bedding such as a mattress, and serves the function of guiding the insertion of the turning aid plate between the small upper guide plate and the small upper guide plate. The width dimension is set to 1/6 to 1/2 the vertical dimension of the turning aid plate, and it has a shape and dimensions larger than those of the small upper guide plate, and it must be a hard and smooth large plate with a length dimension from tip to base that is set to be equal to or greater than the horizontal width dimension between the left and right sides of the turning aid plate, and the tip must be larger than the width dimension of the base. It is desirable to set the width dimension of the lower guide plate small, and like the upper guide plate small, the tip of the lower guide plate large can be provided with a low-friction sliding part similar to the insertion edge of the aforementioned turning aid plate, and the rear end of the lower guide plate large can be provided with a rod-shaped handle or a bulging grip made of high-friction soft resin similar to the handle part of the aforementioned turning aid plate, and furthermore, the cross-sectional shape when cut longitudinally from the tip to the base end can be slightly curved with a gentle concave curvature to follow the curvature of the cared-for person's back.

The turning aid and at least one pair of upper and lower guide plates (small upper guide plate and large lower guide plate) should all be hard and smooth, but can be made of a variety of materials, for example, synthetic resins such as polycarbonate resin and ABS resin, composite materials such as carbon fiber resin and glass fiber resin, wood such as wood or plywood, aluminum alloy, stainless steel alloy or other metals, or a combination of these materials.

The leg binding device has a function of holding both legs of the care recipient together and making it easier for the caregiver to change the position of the care recipient, and has a partition section shaped so that it can be sandwiched between the legs of the care recipient, and a shallow arc tube section is provided at the bottom of the partition section when the care recipient is in a lateral position, into which less than 1/3 of the diameter of the care recipient's leg fits, and a deep arc tube section is provided at the top of the partition section when the care recipient is in a lateral position, into which more than 1/3 of the diameter of the care recipient's leg fits, and it is desirable for the device to be made of at least one binding belt that is wrapped around both legs of the care recipient that are sandwiched between the leg holding cast and the leg binding device. The leg holding cast and the binding belt are preferably made flexible and breathable by attaching felt, soft rubber, soft foam resin, etc., that reduces pressure and increases friction and prevents slipping, or by applying a nap treatment such as flocking to the areas that come into contact with the legs of the care recipient.

The nursing method using the nursing equipment that is the basis of this invention involves inserting at least one pair of upper and lower guide plates from their tips from either the left or right outer side of the care recipient in a supine position between at least the back of the care recipient and the mattress or other bedding that is in contact with it, then inserting a turning aid plate between the at least one pair of upper and lower guide plates from its insertion edge, sliding the turning aid plate along the upper and lower guide plates until it is at least below the back area of the care recipient, and then removing each pair of upper and lower guide plates, grasping the handles of the turning aid plate and using the insertion edge of the turning aid plate as a fulcrum to pull it upwards, so that the care recipient is in a side-lying position.

In addition, as will be described later in the section on the effects and advantages of the examples, the method of care using the care equipment involves, prior to either the operation of inserting the upper and lower guide plates and the turning support plate under the back of the person in the supine position, or after removing the upper and lower guide plates after inserting the turning support plate, or prior to the operation of changing the position to a side-lying position using the turning support plate, placing the partition part of the leg-holding cast of the leg-binding device between the legs of the person in the supine position, and attaching the shallow arc tube part to the leg that will be the lower side when the person is in a side-lying position. The deep arc tube portion is fitted to the upper leg when the patient is in the lateral position, and at least one of the leg binding belts is wrapped around both legs to bring the legs together. Furthermore, the length of the binding belt can be set so that it can be wrapped around the turning assistance plate, which is set to a vertical dimension that covers the back, waist, and lower legs of the person being cared for, and the leg-holding cast attached between the legs of the person being cared for.

Furthermore, as will be shown in the section on the effects and advantages of the examples described later, the method of using the nursing equipment involves inserting at least one pair of upper guide small plates of a pair of upper and lower guide twin plates from the outside of either the left or right side of the care recipient between at least the back of the care recipient in a supine position and the bedding such as a mattress in contact with the back, starting from the tip thereof, and then inserting at least one pair of lower guide large plates of a pair of upper and lower guide twin plates from the outside of either the left or right side of the care recipient between the base end of the upper small guide plate and the bedding such as a mattress, starting from the tip thereof. After the insertion, a turning aid plate is inserted between the upper small guide plate and the lower large guide plate of the at least one pair of upper and lower double guide plates, starting from its insertion edge, and the turning aid plate is slid along the upper small guide plate and the lower large guide plate until it is at least below the back area of the person being cared for, after which each pair of upper and lower double guide plates is removed, the handles of the turning aid plate are grasped, and the turning aid plate is pulled upwards using the insertion edge of the turning aid plate as a fulcrum, so that the person being cared for is placed in a lateral position, and the care work can be continued.

In addition, in a method of care using the care equipment, after using the care equipment to place the care recipient in a lateral position, an existing lateral position maintaining device fixed to a peripheral fixed part such as a bed's auxiliary rail or handrail is wrapped around the care recipient's body by slightly lifting the body of the care recipient in the lateral position and wrapping the turning support plate along the body of the care recipient and using the insertion edge as a guide, and then the turning support plate is removed, thereby enabling the care recipient to be stably maintained in a lateral position, which is significantly less burdensome for the care recipient and the caregiver than in the past, when the back of the care recipient in a supine position was slightly lifted and an existing lateral position maintaining device was wrapped around the body. Furthermore, when a leg binding device is attached, at least one of the binding belts and the leg supporting cast of the leg binding device can be removed from both of the care recipient's legs either before or after treatment as required, such as treatment, wiping, or changing diapers.
The structure of the present invention will be described in detail below together with a representative embodiment of the present invention shown in the drawings.

The drawings show some representative embodiments that embody the technical concept of the nursing care tool of the present invention and the nursing care method using the same.
1A to 1C are a rear view, a plan view, a right side view, a front view, and a bottom view showing a turning support plate. 13A to 13C are a rear view, a top view, a right side view, a front view, and a bottom view showing a further improved turning support plate. 1A to 1C are a rear view, a plan view, a right side view, and a front view showing the upper guide small plate and the lower guide large plate of the upper and lower guide twin plates. FIG. 2 is a three-view diagram showing the leg-holding cast and restraining belt of the leg binding device. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a care recipient in a supine position. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a care recipient in a supine position wearing the leg binding device. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a care recipient in a supine position wearing leg binding devices. 1 is a plan view showing a care recipient in a supine position with an upper guide plate inserted under the back. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a care recipient in a supine position with a lower guide plate inserted under the back. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a care recipient in a supine position with a pair of upper and lower guide plates inserted under the back. FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the state in which the turning assistance plate is inserted between the upper and lower guide plates. This is a plan view showing the state in which the turning assistance plate is inserted between the upper and lower guide plates. FIG. 13 is a front view showing the turning assistance plate starting to move to a lateral position. FIG. 13 is a front view showing the turning assistance plate completing the transition to a lateral position. 1 is a flowchart showing a care method using the care equipment.

The example shown in Figures 1 to 5 shows a typical example of a nursing care tool of the present invention, which is made of a large, smooth, hard plate with a width dimension A between the left and right and a length dimension B that can support at least the back 80 of the person being cared for 8, has a turning support plate 1 with an insertion edge 10 on one of the left and right edges and a handle portion 12 on the other of the left and right edges opposite the insertion edge 10, and is combined with at least a pair of hard, smooth, upper and lower guide plates 2 whose width dimension E (, H) is set to 1/6 to 1/2 of the length dimension B of the turning support plate 1 and whose length dimension C (F) from the tip 30 (40) to the base end 31 (41) is set to be equal to or greater than the width dimension A between the left and right of the turning support plate.

As can be clearly understood from each of these figures, the turning support plate 1 of this invention is made of a hard, smooth large plate 1, which is made of an aluminum alloy plate core material set to a left-right width dimension A (300 mm) and a vertical dimension B (1300 mm) capable of supporting the back 80, main part 81, and lower legs (legs) 82, 83 of the care recipient 8, and is entirely covered with a hard synthetic resin coating (static friction coefficient of the resin material is 0.3 to 0.5). One of the left and right edges 10 is an insertion edge 10 that has been chamfered to remove the corners, and the other of the left and right edges 11 opposite the insertion edge 10 is made of a high-friction soft synthetic resin (static friction coefficient of the resin material is 0.3 to 0.5). The handles 12 (1.2 to 1.5 in number) are arranged over a band-like range along the length B direction, bulge out in the vertical direction (thickness direction of the large smooth plate 1) along the outer edge of the band-like range in the left-right width dimension A direction, and are firmly integrated. Furthermore, at a total of four locations, approximately 320 mm from both ends in the length B direction toward the outer edges (10, 11) in the left-right width dimension A direction, there are vertical (thickness direction of the large smooth plate 1) operating holes 13, 13, ... through which a towing cord or a band to be attached to the body of the person being cared for 8 can be passed, or which can be hung on a hook when stored.

As shown in FIG. 2, the turning aid 1 of the present invention has a thin strip-shaped low-friction sliding section 14 along its insertion edge 10, which is made of a low-friction (static friction coefficient of the material is 0.03 to 0.45) fluororesin coating, embedded artificial stones, attached metal parts, etc., and further has a straight high-friction end 15 (static friction coefficient of the material is 1.2 to 1.5) made of natural or synthetic rubber along the very tip of the low-friction sliding section 14. Also, a handle hole 16 shaped like an upside-down inverted letter A is provided on either the left or right edge 11, through which the fingers can be passed, and a handle section 12 made of a metal cylindrical rod is bridged between both ends of the handle hole 16, forming a strong, integrated structure.

The upper guide plate 3 of the double upper and lower guide plates 2 shown in Figure 3 has a length C of 300 mm, the same as the width A (300 mm) between the left and right sides of the turning support plate 1. The width D of the arc-shaped tip 30 of the guide plate 3 is 95 mm, and the width E of the arc-shaped base end 31 is 150 mm. The aluminum alloy plate is coated with a low-friction synthetic resin film (the static friction coefficient of the material is 0.3 to 0.5). The base end 31 has an operating hole 32 that can be used to pass a towing cord or hang it on a hook during storage, which penetrates the thickness of the guide plate 3. The width E (150 mm) of the base end 31 of the upper guide plate 3 is set to 1/6 to 1/2 of the vertical length B (1300 mm) of the turning support plate 1.

The lower guide plate 4 of the double upper and lower guide plates 2 has a length F of 330 mm, which is longer than the width A (300 mm) between the left and right sides of the turnover support plate 1. The width G of the arc-shaped tip 40 of the lower guide plate 4 is 130 mm, and the width H of the arc-shaped base end 41 is 230 mm. The aluminum alloy plate is coated with a low-friction synthetic resin film (the static friction coefficient of the material is 0.3 to 0.5). The base end 41 has an operating hole 42 that can be used to pass a towing cord or hang it on a hook during storage, which penetrates through the thickness of the lower guide plate 4. The width H (230 mm) of the base end 41 of the lower guide plate 4 is set to 1/6 to 1/2 of the vertical length B (1300 mm) of the turnover support plate 1.

As shown in FIG. 4, the leg-holding cast 6 of the leg binding device 5 has a partition section 60 with a thickness J of 100 mm and a length K of 440 mm, which is configured so that it can be sandwiched between the legs 82, 83 of the care recipient 8. When the care recipient 8 is in a lateral position, a shallow arc tube section 61 with a depth M is provided at a position that is the lower side of the partition section 60, into which less than 1/3 of the diameter L of the legs 82 (83) of the care recipient 8 fits. When the care recipient 8 is in a lateral position, a shallow arc tube section 61 with a depth M is provided at a position that is the lower side of the partition section 60, which is less than 1/3 of the diameter L of the legs 82 (83) of the care recipient 8 fits. At this position, a deep arc tube section 62 with a depth N that fits over a range exceeding 1/3 of the diameter L of the legs 83 (82) of the care recipient 8 is provided, and at least one binding belt 7 with a length dimension P that can be wrapped around both legs 82, 83 of the care recipient 8 sandwiching the both-leg-holding cast 6 and a male hook-and-loop fastener 70 on one end and a female hook-and-loop fastener 71 on the other end is combined with the both-leg-holding cast 6 to form the both-leg binding device 5.

(Functions and Effects of Example 1)
The nursing equipment of the present invention (turning assist plate 1, upper and lower guide plates 2, and leg binder 5) having the above-mentioned configuration is arranged as shown in Figs. 5 to 15 by disposing the partition portion 60 of the leg-holding cast 6 of the leg binder 5 between the legs 82, 83 of the care recipient 8 in the supine position, fitting the shallow arc tube portion 61 to the leg 82 that will be the lower side when the care recipient 8 is in the lateral position (a), fitting the deep arc tube portion 62 to the leg 83 that will be the upper side when the care recipient 8 is in the lateral position (b), wrapping a total of two binding belts 7, 7 around the legs 82, 83, and aligning the legs 82, 83 together (c), and then placing the care recipient 8 in the supine position. A total of three pairs of upper guide small plates 3, 3, 3 of upper and lower guide double plates 2, 2, 2 are inserted from their tips 30, 30, 30, respectively, from the outer right side, which would be the upper side when the cared for person 8 is in a lateral position, between the area covering the back 80 or essential parts 81 of the caregiver 8 and the mattress 90 of the bed 9 adjacent thereto (d). At this time, since each of the upper guide small plates 3, 3, 3 is coated with a synthetic resin having low friction (the static friction coefficient of the material is 0.3 to 0.5), it is possible to insert them with low frictional resistance without them getting caught on the clothing of the cared for person 8 or the sheets of the mattress 90.

Then, the lower guide large plates 4, 4, 4 of the three pairs of upper and lower guide double plates 2, 2, 2 are inserted between the base ends 31, 31, 31 of the upper guide small plates 3, 3, 3 and the mattress 90, for example from the outer right side, which is the upper side when the care recipient 8 is in a lateral position (e). At this time, too, since each lower guide large plate 4, 4, 4 is coated with a synthetic resin with low friction (static friction coefficient of the material is 0.3 to 0.5), it is possible to insert it with low frictional resistance without getting caught on the sheets of the mattress 90.

After the three pairs of upper and lower guide plates 2, 2, 2 have been inserted in this manner (d), (e), the turning assistance plate 1 is inserted between the smaller upper guide plates 3, 3, 3 and the larger lower guide plates 4, 4, 4 from its insertion edge 10. The base ends 41, 41, 41 of the larger guide plates 4, 4, 4 are exposed longer than the smaller upper guide plates 3, 3, 3, making it possible to insert the insertion edge 10 more smoothly. The turning assistance plate 1 can then be smoothly slid (f) down to the area covering the back 80, essential parts 81 and lower legs (both legs) 82, 83 of the person being cared for, guided by the smaller upper guide plates 3, 3, 3 and the larger lower guide plates 4, 4, 4. At this time, the upper and lower guide plates 2, 2, 2 and the turning support plate 1 slide against each other as they are coated with a synthetic resin with low friction (the static friction coefficient of the material is 0.3 to 0.5), so the caregiver can slide the turning support plate 1 easily by simply pressing the handle portion 12 with a light force.

When the turning support plate 1 shown in Fig. 2 is used, a thin strip-shaped low-friction sliding section 14 with low friction (static friction coefficient of material is 0.03 to 0.45) is provided along the insertion edge 10, so that the frictional resistance when inserting the turning support plate 1 between the upper small guide plates 3, 3, 3 and the lower large guide plates 4, 4, 4 of the three pairs of upper and lower guide plates 2, 2, 2 is further reduced, and the caregiver can insert it with less force. After this, the upper small guide plates 3, 3, 3 and the lower large guide plates 4, 4, 4 of all the upper and lower guide plates 2, 2, 2 are removed (g), and the handle section 12 of the turning support plate 1 is grasped and pulled upwards using the insertion edge 10 of the turning support plate 1 as a fulcrum, so that the care recipient 8 is placed in a lateral position (h). At this time (h), the downward facing shallow arc tube portion 61 of the leg-holding cast 6 does not touch the mattress 90, and the lower leg 82 of the person being cared for 8 is shifted to a rolling position on the mattress 90, while the upper leg 83 is firmly held by the deep arc tube portion 62, so that the aligned legs 82, 83 do not collapse and the person smoothly transitions to a lateral position.

In this case (h), when the turning aid 1 shown in Fig. 2 is used, a straight high friction end 15 (the static friction coefficient of the material is 1.2 to 1.5) is provided along the leading edge of the low friction sliding part 14, so that the insertion edge 10 of the turning aid 1 can more reliably function as a fulcrum without slipping on the sheets of the mattress 90. In addition, whether the turning aid 1, 1 in Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 is used, the handle part 12 is shaped to be firmly grasped, so the burden on the caregiver in the series of steps (f) and (h) is significantly reduced.
13 and 14, an existing lateral position maintaining device EM (for example, the nursing aid disclosed in JP 2006-158573 A) is attached to the support rail 91 of the bed 9 facing the cared person 8 in the lateral position by wrapping it around the body of the cared person 8 so as to stably maintain the lateral position of the cared person 8 (j). Then, the turning support plate 1 is removed (k), the binding belt 7 and the leg-holding cast 6 are removed from both legs of the cared person (m), and any necessary treatment, such as cleaning, wiping, or changing diapers, is performed (n). After that, the binding belt 7 and the leg-holding cast 6 are once again attached to both legs of the cared person (p), and the turning support plate 1 is removed from both legs of the cared person (p). The caregiver's back 80, essential parts 81 and lower legs (both legs) 82, 83 are supported by supporting the care recipient's body from the back 80, with the insertion edge 10 in contact with the sheets of the mattress 90, and the body 80, 81, 82, 83 of the care recipient are received, in the opposite manner to when the caregiver is lifted up, and the body is slowly moved from the lateral position to the supine position (q) while being supported by the existing lateral position maintaining equipment EM. Just before the turning assistance plate 1 touches the mattress 90 (sheets), the turning assistance plate 1 is removed (r), and the existing lateral position maintaining equipment EM is removed from the body 80 of the care recipient (s), completing the series of care tasks.

(Conclusion)
As described, the nursing equipment of this invention and the nursing method using it are capable of achieving the intended objectives through their novel configuration, and are easy to manufacture. Compared to conventional technology for assistive devices for turning over, they can greatly increase the efficiency of nursing work, and make the nursing equipment lighter and less expensive, making them far more economical. They can also significantly reduce the pain and suffering of the person being cared for when they are moved from a supine to a lateral position, and they can also greatly reduce the physical and mental burden on the caregiver. Therefore, they are expected to be highly regarded not only in the medical and nursing care industries, but also in the nursing care product industry and in ordinary households who use them to care for their family members, and to be used and spread widely.

(Care equipment)
1 Turning aid plate A Same Left-right width dimension B Same Length dimension 10 Same Insertion edge (either left or right edge)
11: the other edge of either the left or right side 12: the handle portion 13: the operation hole 14: the low friction sliding portion 15: the high friction end portion 2: the upper and lower guide twin plates 3: the upper guide small plate C: the length dimension of the upper guide small plate 3 30: the tip D: the width dimension D of the tip 30
31 Base end E Width dimension of base end 31 32 Operation hole 4 Lower guide plate F Length dimension of lower guide plate 4 40 Tip G Width dimension of tip 40 41 Base end H Width dimension H of base end 41
5 Both leg binding device 6 Both leg holding cast K Length dimension of both leg holding cast 60 Partition J Thickness dimension of partition 60 61 Shallow arc tubular section 62 Deep arc tubular section 7 Restraint belt P Length dimension of restraint belt 7 70 Male hook-and-loop fastener 71 Female hook-and-loop fastener 8 Care recipient 80 Back 81 Main part 82 Leg (lower leg, the leg that becomes the lower side when in a lateral position)
83 Same leg (lower leg, the upper leg when in lateral position)
L Diameter of leg EM Existing lateral position maintenance equipment 9 Bed 9
90 Mattress (bedding)
91 Support fence (care method using care equipment)
a) Attach the shallow arc tube portion 61 of the double-leg support cast 6 to the leg 82 which will be the lower leg when the patient is in the lateral decubitus position.
b) Attach the deep arc tube portion 62 of the double-leg supporting cast 6 to the upper leg 83 when the patient is in the lateral decubitus position.
c) Wrap the binding belt 7 around both legs 82, 83.
d. Insert the upper guide plate 3 of the upper and lower guide plates 2.
e) Insert the large lower guide plate 4 of the double upper and lower guide plates 2.
f. Insert the turning aid 1.
g. Remove the upper and lower guide plates 2.
h. Operate the turning assistance plate 1 to turn the care recipient 8 in the supine position into the lateral position.
j) The lateral position of the care recipient 8 is maintained using an existing lateral position maintaining device EM.
k. Remove the turning aid 1.
m. Remove the binding belts 7 from the leg binding device 5 and the leg support casts 6.
n Take necessary measures.
p. Attach the tie belt 7 and the leg support cast 6.
q Change position from lateral to supine position.
r. Remove the turning aid 1.
s. Remove the existing lateral position maintaining device EM.

Claims (7)

This nursing care equipment is characterized in that it comprises a turning assistance plate consisting of a large, hard, smooth plate with a left-right width dimension and a length dimension capable of supporting at least the back of the person being cared for, one of the left and right edges being an insertion edge and a handle portion being provided on the other of the left and right edges opposite the insertion edge, and is combined with at least a pair of hard, smooth, upper and lower guide plates whose width dimension is set to 1/6 to 1/2 of the length dimension of the turning assistance plate and whose length dimension from tip to base end is set to be greater than or equal to the left-right width dimension of the turning assistance plate.
The bed support includes at least a pair of hard, smooth, large boards each having a width dimension between the left and right and a length dimension capable of supporting at least the back of the person being cared for, one of the left and right edges being an insertion edge, and a turnover support board having a handle portion provided on the other of the left and right edges opposite the insertion edge, the width dimension being set to 1/6 to 1/2 of the length dimension of the turnover support board, and the length dimension from the tip to the base end being set to be equal to or greater than the width dimension between the left and right of the turnover support board. This nursing care equipment is characterized in that a double plate is combined with the turning support plate, and the turning support plate is inserted between the base ends of at least a pair of upper and lower guide double plates which are inserted from the tip end from either the left or right side of the cared person between at least the back of the cared person in a supine position and the bedding such as a mattress in contact with it, as if being guided from the insertion edge, so that the turning support plate is positioned so as to support at least the back area of the cared person and can assist the caregiver in changing the cared person's position to a side-lying position.
This nursing care equipment is characterized in that it has a turning assistance plate consisting of a hard, smooth large plate with a left-right width dimension and a vertical dimension capable of supporting at least the back of the person being cared for, one of the left and right edges being an insertion edge and a handle portion being provided on the other of the left and right edges opposite the insertion edge, and is combined with at least a pair of upper and lower double guide plates consisting of a hard, smooth upper small guide plate and a hard, smooth large lower guide plate, the width dimension of which is set to 1/6 to 1/2 the vertical dimension of the turning assistance plate and the length dimension from the tip to the base end of which is set to be greater than the left-right width dimension of the turning assistance plate.
4. The care equipment according to claim 1, wherein the turning support plate has a width dimension between the left and right sides and a length dimension that can support the back, essential parts and lower legs of the person being cared for.
4. The nursing care equipment according to claim 1, wherein the turning assistance plate has a low-friction sliding portion provided along its insertion edge and a high-friction end portion provided along the most distal end of the low-friction sliding portion.
The nursing care device of claim 3, wherein the width and length dimensions of the upper guide small plate of the upper and lower guide twin plates are set smaller than the width and length dimensions of the lower guide large plate, and the width dimensions of the tip of the upper guide small plate and the lower guide large plate are each set smaller than the width dimensions of the base end.
The care equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a leg binding device consisting of a leg-holding cast having a partition part shaped to be sandwiched between the legs of a care recipient, a shallow arc-shaped cylinder part that fits less than 1/3 of the diameter of the legs of the care recipient at a position that becomes the lower side of the partition part when the care recipient is in a lateral position, and a deep arc-shaped cylinder part that fits an area exceeding 1/3 of the diameter of the legs of the care recipient at a position that becomes the upper side of the partition part when the care recipient is in a lateral position, and at least one binding belt that is wrapped around both legs of the care recipient sandwiching the leg-holding cast.