Orizon service reduces time spent on incontinence care in care homes
An Ontex field study shows that nurses in a caregiving environment spend almost half their time on incontinence-related tasks.
Ontex’s smart incontinence service, Orizon, automatically alerts caregivers in care homes and hospitals via an app when a resident’s smart incontinence protection gets close to saturation.
A field study with Orizon in a Belgian care home saw a positive impact on comfort for residents and staff, with a 42% reduction of leakages during the day and more than 50% at night. There were also 75% fewer bed linen changes related to urinary leakages.
Less time spent on continence management increases the dignity of residents and frees up time that caregivers can spend on social contact with residents and other essential care tasks.
Ontex will run pilot projects of Orizon in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and the UK, with a commercial launch across Europe later this year.
Aalst (Belgium) – Ontex (Euronext: ONTEX), a Belgium-based international personal hygiene group has developed a smart continence management service to care homes and hospitals in Europe under the brand Orizon.
Hospitals and elderly care facilities face tremendous time and budget pressure to take care of residents. Incontinence is one of the most prevalent conditions in age care facilities, and one of the most important components of the cost for caring in institutions. Around 80% of care home residents have some form of incontinence, as shown in Ontex order data from care homes.
“Caregivers are under enormous strain, and we want to help them by reducing the time they spend on continence management,” said Annick De Poorter, Executive Vice President R&D and Sustainability, Ontex. “Our field study has shown that nurses in care homes spend almost half of their time on incontinence-related tasks. Orizon will improve the dignity of residents, reducing diaper checks especially at night, and optimize the time dedicated to continence care reducing the consequences of diaper leakages.”
The Orizon solution contains a printed sensor, a transmitter clipped onto the diaper, as well as a mobile and web application. This combination accurately determines the saturation level of the diaper and alerts caregivers when it is possibly necessary to change the diaper.
Launch in Europe
Ontex is going to run pilot projects of Orizon in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and the UK, with a commercial launch across Europe later this year. During a first field study at the start of Orizon’s ongoing validation process, Orizon was tested at care home De Dennen in Malle, Belgium. Hilde D’hont, care home Quality Director, said: “Orizon improved the daily lives of our residents suffering from incontinence, as well as that of our caregivers. Diapers are now only changed and checked when needed, so residents suffering from incontinence get more time for a chat with staff and are not unnecessarily disturbed during the night. We saw a 40% reduction of leakages during the day and more than 50% at night, 3 out of 4 fewer bed linen changes, and an optimal use of absorbents. This has a positive impact on people’s comfort and on the environmental footprint of our care home.”
Common condition in aging population
Incontinence is a very common condition, especially with elderly people in hospitals and care homes. According to research done by the World Health Organization[1], between 10 and 36% of people over the age of 60 are affected by incontinence and use incontinence products. Even if incontinence is most common among the elderly, it affects all ages of the population.
The group of people over 60 years of age is expected to rise from nearly 1 billion worldwide now[2] to nearly 2.1 billion by 2050[3], further straining healthcare systems around the world. Orizon aims to reinvent continence care together with caregivers to make caregiving easier and more manageable as the population ages worldwide, especially in Europe and large parts of Asia.
New brand and model
Unlike most of Ontex’s existing incontinence brands and services, Orizon is based on a monthly fee. By launching Orizon, Ontex aims to optimize the total continence management cost by reducing waste, laundry cost and staff time spent on continence care. Incontinence care is optimized thanks to a more tailored, individual incontinence care for residents. This results in an optimal use of the absorbent capacity, reducing total consumption, and more time for staff to spend on other care tasks or quality time.
Orizon will be brought to the market by Ontex’s two leading incontinence brands, Serenity and iD, capitalizing on existing brand awareness and reputation in European hospitals and care homes.
About the first field study
In November and December of 2020, Ontex conducted the first field study of its Orizon service with the help of 30 care home residents and 70 caregivers at care home De Dennen in Malle, Belgium. The field study helped to provide insights on reducing leakages, user friendliness, and the impact on nursing staff and residents. Results of the study showed a 42% reduction in the number of leaks during the day and more than 50% at night, and an overall reduction in the negative impact of leakages, including a 75% reduction in bed linen changes related to urinary leakages.
In the care home departments with the most suitable target group, more than 80% of caregivers said they would recommend the solution.
About Ontex
Ontex is a leading international provider of personal hygiene solutions, with expertise in baby care, feminine care and adult care. Ontex’s innovative products are distributed in more than 110 countries through Ontex brands such as iD, Serenity, Moltex, BioBaby, Pompom, Bigfral, CanBebe and CanPed, as well as leading retailer brands.
Employing some 10,000 passionate people all over the world, Ontex has a presence in 21 countries, with its headquarters in Aalst, Belgium. Ontex is listed on Euronext Brussels and is part of the Bel Mid®. To keep up with the latest news, visit https://ontex.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Orizon
Ontex’s innovative solution comprises a top-quality diaper with a printed sensor, a transmitter clipped onto the diaper, as well as a mobile and web application. The combination accurately determines the saturation level of the diaper as well as the risk of leakage and alerts caregivers when it is necessary to change the diaper. This enables tailored, individual incontinence support for residents. The smart diaper also reduces the environmental impact of care institutions by decreasing unnecessary diaper usage and allowing savings on laundry.
[1] Between 9.9% and 36.1% of the population over 60 years of age is reported to suffer from incontinence. WHO study on incontinence, 2017, page 1, retrieved on May 10th, 2021 https://www.who.int/ageing/health-systems/icope/evidence-centre/ICOPE-evidence-profile-urinary-incont.pdf
[2] UN report on ageing population, 2017, page 1 https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/ageing/WPA2017_Highlights.pdf
[3] UN population report, 2015, page 9, retrieved May 10, 2021 https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/ageing/WPA2015_Report.pdf
