Safe sleep: the Ascenda story

Safe sleep: the Ascenda story

Great products don’t start with technology; they start with people.

One of the most common problems occupational therapists face is a client who sleeps in their riser recliner. Typically due to ‘comfort’ or inability to transfer to a bed, this leads to numerous complications in posture, pressure, and in some cases can lead to Lymphedema.  

Critically, as a result of this, clients face the most challenging complication of all - the absence of independence and dignity.  

Our innovation, the Ascenda, aims to restore this to service users.

The problem we couldn’t ignore

For years, service users choosing to sleep in their riser-recliners has been the default solution when they struggle to transfer to a bed.

We had a constant stream of concern from healthcare professionals:

• “Sleeping in a riser recliner has significantly increased my patient’s risk of pressure ulcers.”
• “My patient’s skin integrity is already compromised and continues to deteriorate.”
• “Due to limited movement throughout the day, my client’s mobility is declining rapidly.”
• “My patient is gradually losing their independence.”
• “My client is not choosing to sleep in a chair; they are doing so because bed transfers have become too difficult.”

We knew that there had to be a better way, which is why we created Ascenda.

We asked a simple but powerful question:

What if a bed could move like a riser recliner chair?

We set ourselves a brief:

• Help those who struggle to lift their legs into bed, giving them confidence to sleep in a bed and be able to function independently at night without the risk of falling.  

• Enable independent transfers from lying to standing.

• Provide an alternative to sleeping in a riser recliner.

• Promote independent movement and change of position to help protect skin integrity and manage potential pressure areas.

• Allow service users to stay independent, reducing the need for carers to aid with bed transfers and manual handling as they are not having to lift and bend down.

• Reduce care costs.

How the Ascenda was developed

In 2023, we created prototypes and took them straight to the people who matter most- clinicians and the end users of our products.

We worked closely with over 30 services and Occupational Therapists across the UK.

These occupational therapists brought people into the process - people who were struggling with bed transfers, and were losing their independence. We worked closely alongside them to shape the final design of the Ascenda.

Before launching, the Ascenda underwent clinical trials, with people using the product in their daily lives. Outcomes were recorded to give real-world evidence for the effectiveness of the Ascenda. The results were clear: people were transferring independently again.

A note from Tennyson, the Ascenda product lead:

‘We had one client who suffers from muscular dystrophy and has difficulty controlling her leg movements. She is fiercely independent and lives in a specially adapted bungalow. She uses a powered wheelchair to move around her home and has a friend who visits once a day to help with certain tasks.

Due to her condition, she found bed transfers increasingly difficult, which led her to sleep in a rise-and-recline chair that she found very uncomfortable. As a result, she was only able to achieve periodic sleep of 1–2 hours during the night.

An OT became involved and trialed several options, including leg lifters and a turning bed. However, these were unsuccessful, as the client struggled with the lateral movement and found the options uncomfortable.

An assessment with the Ascenda was then carried out and proved successful. Due to the Ascenda’s high lifting range, transfers to and from her wheelchair became much easier, allowing her to transfer independently. She was also able to gradually build up her sleeping tolerance to around eight hours per night.

When we last spoke with her, she mentioned that she had even overslept on a few occasions-something she hadn’t done in years. As you can imagine, this had a massive positive impact on her quality of life and independence.’

Why the Ascenda is different

Many clients that can’t get their legs into bed struggle with the lateral movement of moving their legs. This is the main reason why sometimes other solutions such as leg lifters don't work. As well as this, foor beds are not always suitable for everyone, and rotational turning beds can come at a very high cost.  

With the Ascenda, it completely eradicates the lateral movement from the whole transfer.

The Ascenda bridges the gap- offering meaningful clinical benefit without the prohibitive cost. With this solution, not only can we reduce carer burden and the associated costs, but most importantly we restore the independence many service users so desperately want.

Many people receive carers twice a day solely to help them:

• Get out of bed in the morning

• Get back into bed at night

When someone can transfer independently, these twilight calls are no longer needed. For most of us, these are routine tasks that we take for granted. For a service user, their inability to perform these movements independently can result in an undignified feeling of reliance.    

Ascenda: more than just a bed

The Ascenda is not simply a response to real clinical need. It’s a solution engineered to restore the independence of those who crave it most. We created this bed because:  

- People were sleeping in chairs when they didn’t need to
- There are limited cost-effective solutions available on the market
- Independence was being lost too early

With the Ascenda, we’ve been able to:
- Reduce care costs
- Decrease reliance on carers
- Increase privacy
- Restore dignity
- Reinstate daily routines  

Sleeping in a riser-recliner will continue to be a prevalent concern for many healthcare professionals. With the Ascenda, not only can we mitigate the healthcare concerns associated with this, but we can offer a solution that is focused on the service user. The Ascenda allows people to stay in their own bed, in their own home, on their own terms.

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