Is it mandatory for nursing homes to use pressure relieving mattresses?

No.  To date, only one state, New Jersey, has enacted any legislation to promote the use of pressure relieving mattresses in nursing homes

Unlike normal spring-filled mattresses, pressure relieving mattresses steadily inflate and deflate to reduce the amount of pressure and friction put on bony parts that are prone to skin breakdown and ultimately, the development of bed sores.

Under the terms proposed in New Jersey State Bill S-1517, nursing home operators must switch from regular mattresses to pressure-relieving mattresses within three years. Nursing home owners would have one year from the bill’s enactment to begin phasing in the use of pressure relieving mattresses.

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