Heel pillow mattress

Abstract

A mattress to prevent the creation of pressure sores having a heel pillow portion intended for use in healthcare facilities having replaceable parts is disclosed. The heel pillow mattress of the present invention is made of foam and has a cavity located at the foot area of the mattress for containing a pillow therein. A soft, resilient pillow insert contained within the cavity provides cushion for the heels of a patient lying on the mattress. A layer of foam covers the top of the cavity containing the pillow insert. This layer of foam has a low indentation force deflection (IFD) to provide a high degree of cushioning for the heels. This layer of foam together with the pillow insert beneath it, provide increased cushioning when a patient's heels apply a downward force on the mattress so that as the heels sink into the mattress, the foam layer and the pillow insert give way to the downward force of the heels and the mattress cradles the heels. The degree to which the heels sink into the mattress is proportional to the load applied. The increased cushion and cradling effect of the heel pillow mattress of the present invention effectively prevents and avoids the creation of pressure sores. The heel pillow mattress is covered by a water and moisture impervious cover.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.