”The bed was developed remarkably quickly - the time from idea to action was short," says Martin Riis Holm, owner of RotoBed®. ”I had imagined that a large company like LINAK would be quite slow. But the corrections and changes we had during the process were solved in record time”.
Martin Riis Holm has been selling care beds for 20 years, which is why it felt entirely natural to develop his own. His aim was to create an aesthetically pleasing care bed, which was also easy to use and which would make a real difference to both users and carers.
Focus on function
”Our beds are built around a rotational movement. With a RotoBed®, it takes less than a minute and just the touch of a button to get from a lying to a sitting position that enables you to climb out of the bed. It is quiet, comfortable and operates in one smooth movement. This is possible because LINAK offers the right quality products, and has also developed a special software for us to ensure that everything functions as a whole,” explains Martin Riis Holm.
The bed exit function is enabled by 3 x LA40 actuators from LINAK. In the beds operated by care staff, a further 2 x LA31 are used for height adjustment. The special software is programmed for the LINAK control box CO71, which also includes the latest in Bluetooth® wireless technology.
”Having a RotoBed® available makes a huge difference to both the user and carer. The user is spared any pain, and the carer gains much greater ergonomics and a better working position because they don't have to put strain on their knees and back when pulling the user out of the bed ,” says Riis Holm and adds: ”We've also been pleasantly surprised to discover that the bed enables a closer presence between the carer and user. A traditional care bed typically requires several carers to help one user. But with our bed, the user can be on their own with one carer, something which adds significant human value."
Unique design
Alongside functionality, design was an equally important element when developing the RotoBed®: ”Our goal from the start was to develop an attractive bed that would fit into people's homes. Most care beds look like typical hospital beds – and we wanted to put an end to that. So we began working with designer Hans Sandgren Jakobsen early on in the process, and the result is the both aesthetically pleasing and functional care bed we have today ” says Riis Holm.
The unique design even led to RotoBed® winning the sought-after IF Design Award in 2019.
A bed for private users
Until recently, the customer group mainly comprised municipalities and care homes, but with the launch of RotoBed®Home, the company can now target private users too. ”We have experienced great demand for the bed as it can help people become more independent in their own home, and it falls into an affordable price bracket. RotoBed®Home can make a big difference to people like this, because it allows them to regain some of their freedom”.
Working on the RotoBed®Home further developed the collaboration with LINAK as RotoBed® chose the HC40 FRAME™ Advanced hand control as part of their product range. This hand control was originally developed for a traditional elevation bed, but with some special programming from LINAK, now it also controls the rotation function.
Future plans
Martin Riis Holm has now got the rotation bed he dreamt of developing. But he does not plan to stop here: ”We're constantly getting new ideas for additional features that could make the bed even better. We're focusing heavily on making the beds more intelligent, and this is where our collaboration with LINAK is really valuable, as they're working on the same page”, says Riis Holm.
For example, with help from LINAK, we managed to develop a patented light system where two spotlights under the bed and an external lamp are controlled by the bed's rotation. "It's always exciting to see what the future will bring, and with LINAK as our business partner, I'm certain that the bed's features will continue to be among the best on the market."
Read more about RotoBed® on their website.
