Abstract:
A bed turning composite dual pad system to facilitate the care of a patient used in changing their position on a bed while providing clear access to their backside as required. A base pad is positioned under a patient with a centrally aligned longitudinally offset contoured opening within allowing the caregiver to easily turn and roll a patient with the base pad for ease of care access position. An adaptable absorbent cover pad is removably affixed over the contoured opening on the underside of the base pad for liquid containment management if needed.

Description:
This application is a continuation in part patent application Ser. No. 12/799,802, filed May 3, 2010, now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention relates to bed pads/slings and sheets that have been developed to aid caregivers in moving and repositioning bed ridden patients to provide required daily care. Patients must be moved by the caregiver for changing soiled undergarments and the like. The use of an under layment sheet that can be pulled around the patient and thereby assist in turning the patient without direct force contact of the caregiver is preferable to the patient given the typical skin condition in such patients which tears easily or other contact injuries which may occur during patient&#39;s fragile body and skin condition movement. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Prior art devices of this type can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,334,901, 4,843,665, 5,329,655, 5,787,523, 6,560,793 and 6,874,176. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 1,334,901 a turning sheet and pad is disclosed having a rectangular sheet with centrally positioned absorbent pad thereon. The sheet is placed transversely across the bed under the patient&#39;s upper torso and hips. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,665 is directed to a patient transport and bed comfort aid and a fabric sling over the bed&#39;s mattress. The sling is secured to multiple extendable post that can lift the sling with the patient off the bed vertically. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,655 discloses a slidable hospital bed sheet for turning patients, having a bottom sheet with a central portion of a reduced friction engagement surface. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,523 is directed to a patient&#39;s sliding sheet with a liquid absorbing layer. A top sheet having multiple oppositely disposed high and low friction surfaces is disclosed. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,560,739 claims a single attendant patient care device comprising a draw sheet with a low friction underside surface and multiple removable body straps. The straps allow for selective patient engagement and movement thereof by a sole attendant in sequential fashion. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,874,176 illustrates a bed mat assembly to prevent bed sores. A draw sheet is combined with a displacement mat thereon and caregiver engagement poles on oppositely disposed parallel edges. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An easy change bed pad access system for repositioning and support of patients by a caregiver required for daily changing of soiled undergarments. A primary base pad is provided of a generally rectangular dimension positioned on a bed. The base pad has a centralized uniquely contoured opening therewithin to provide superior support to the patient&#39;s lower extremities while maintaining ease of caregiver access to the patient after grasping along one edge and pulled by the caregiver thus engaged and turn by the primary base pad. A waterproof and liquid absorbent quilted secondary cover pad is removably positioned over the opening. The bed pad system provides for safe, soft and secure patient engagement and movement without risking direct pulling force contact and associated injury due to the delicate nature of the patient&#39;s skin as is found in this environment. The secondary detachable cover pad can be replaced as needed. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of the patient engagement pad system of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom perspective view of the pad system configuration illustrating a removable opening cover pad. 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view illustrating the patient engagement pad system on a bed with a patient positioned thereon. 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan illustration view of the patient engagement pad engaged and moving a patient. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  of the drawings, the patient pad system  10  of the invention can be seen having a generally rectangular base pad  10 A with oppositely disposed longitudinally extending perimeter edges  11  and  12 . Corresponding interconnecting perimeter end edges  13  and  14  define a main body member  15  thereof. The base pad  10 A is preferably made of multi-layered waterproof reusable fabric material. A patient care access opening  16  is formed within the central field of the main body member  15  and is of a known contoured dimension. The opening  16  has a parallel spaced inner edge sides  16 A and  16 B, and an interconnecting top surface  16 C. Angularly disposed opposing bottom end edges  17 A and  17 B intersect at  18  defining the contoured dimensional opening  16 . 
     It will be noted that the opening  16  is located centrally between the pads  10 A respective perimeter edges  11  and  12  defining equal areas  19  and  20  of remaining side pad surfaces. 
     In contrast, the longitudinal orientation of the opening  16  in the main body member  15  is biased towards the perimeter bottom end edge  13  providing therefore a remaining surface area of increased dimension at  21 . 
     This longitudinal access orientation of the opening  16  and its contoured shape is needed to accommodate patient&#39;s positioning thereon during use as will be described in detail hereinafter. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2  of the drawings, a patient pad  10 A and its main body member  15  as hereinbefore disclosed has a pair of spaced parallel wide bands  22  of hook and loop interengagement material known commercially under the brand name of “Velcro”. The bands  22  of hook and loop material are positioned on either side of the opening  16  adjacent the respective perimeter edges  11  and  12  on its upper surface  15 A. 
     A waterproof absorbent cover pad  23  is provided having a dimension greater than that of the opening  16  and less than that of the pad  10 . Corresponding thin narrow bands  23  of hook and loop material are secured to the cover pad  23  so as to be in alternate registering alignment with the hook and loop bands  22  when positioned thereover for removably securing the cover pad  23  selectively over the opening  16  on the underside  24  of the base pad  10 A as so illustrated by broken lines in  FIG. 1  of the drawings and in exploded view in  FIG. 2  of the drawings. 
     Both the cover pad  23  and base pad  10 A are made of a multiple layered construction having one sided waterproof moisture absorbent middle layer and material and a “top” layer patient engagement layer of a cotton polyester blend. The cover pad  23  can be easily removed, washed and re-used, as required. It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that a modified disposable cover pad (not shown) could be used for a one time disposable use the surfaces are so configured as to be engageable by the hook portion of the hook and loop material positioned in such suggested application over the opening  16  as hereinbefore described. 
     The easy change patient pad system  10  provided with the removable Velcro™ secured cover pad  23  provides an use configuration to enhance the maintenance and care of the patient by providing a secondary containment barrier directly under a patient P which in some situations may be required as to be anticipatory of patient&#39;s needs and requirements. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4  of the drawings, a patient&#39;s bed  24  can be seen illustrated graphically with the patient pad system  10  of the invention positioned thereon for use. The bed  24  is oriented in this example with the head of the bed at  24 A. 
     The patient pad system  10  of the invention is of an overall longitudinal length less than that of the bed  24  so that as positioned thereon for use it will be in spaced relation to the head of the bed at  24 A. Its transverse dimension is equal to or marginally less that that of the bed at  24 B. 
     The patient P is illustrated graphically on the dual component patient pad system  10  which is positioned to extend from the patient&#39;s shoulders S downwardly under the torso of the patient and the patient&#39;s legs. Accordingly, the upper torso orientation of the pad system  10  therefore automatically positions the hereinbefore described pads access opening at  16  centrally on the patient&#39;s mid-section about their waist W so indicated in solid and dotted lines in  FIG. 3  of the drawings. It will be evident that by the unique contoured nature of the access opening  16  that the corresponding angular bottom end edges  17 A and  17 B that the bottom conforms to the patient&#39;s body shape thus providing additional and needed translateral support thereto. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4  of the drawings (during use) the pad system  10  has been grasped by a care worker (not shown) indicated by force engagement arrows A and the patient P is swaddled and turned by gathering the pad&#39;s longitudinal edge  11  over the patient P and towards the oppositely disposed parallel perimeter pad edge  12 . This action reveals the patient care contoured access opening  16  with the cover pad  23  thereover allowing for removal thereof, shown partially removed with the patient P presented properly for the caregiver&#39;s ability to change the patient&#39;s soiled undergarment as required without having to hold the patient and reposition the patient multiple times as is currently required by direct contact. 
     It will thus be seen that a new and novel “easy change bed pad” of the invention has been illustrated and described which allows the caregiver to easily reposition the patient for required access for the changing of soiled undergarments as is required in such care facilities or home application situations. 
     As noted, it will be seen that such a device has been illustrated and described and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention.