Hippocrates advised medical staff to nurse critically ill patients on the skins of animals, preferring wool. This is still advisable today.
Homecare, Hospital or Hospice….Are pressure sores a problem to you?
Medical Experts agree that 95% of Bedsores are Preventable!
Wool is the answer to this needless suffering
THE HUMAN BODY
Studies show we are 55 – 75% water.
We lose an average of 2 ounces of vapor per hour through Transepidermal water loss; approximately 1 litre per night.
Our skin needs to breathe.
Lying in moisture creates an environment for bacteria to thrive and skin to break down.
THE WOOL FIBRE
Wool absorbs moisture by capillary action and releases it to the air through evaporation.
Wool is a natural insulator. It regulates and maintains a constant body temperature of 37 °C or 98.6 °F.
Wool is bacteria, mold, and mildew naturally resistant. Dust mites and bed bugs can’t live in wool.
Wool is predominantly made of keratin, a protein that is present in our own skin and hair.
Ceramides present in wool are very similar in composition to those found on the Stratum Corneum layer of human skin tissue.
Consisting mainly of protein this natural fibre has an external lipid content, known as lanolin (used in cosmetics), and an internal lipid content of great value due to its high concentration of ceramides.
Wool is effective in treating and preventing the three main causes of skin breakdown: Moisture, Pressure and Chaffing
HOW DOES WOOL WORK?
MOISTURE
Wool absorbs 30% to 40% of its own weight in moisture, keeping the contact area dry and the patient comfortable.
PRESSURE
Wool has a coiled spring-like tubular structure that gives gentle and flexible support.
A wool fibre can bend up to 20,000 times before breaking, providing an extended shelf-life.
Studies report that when using wool pads you only need to turn the patient every four hours instead of every two hours.
CHAFFING
Wool fibres fold in on themselves and flow with the body’s movements.
Merino wool is used for softness.
When wool fibres directly adhere to the skin, a micro-massage is carried out, which increases blood circulation, strengthens the immune system, and increases resistance to disease.
What is Soul Comfort's Health Merino Sheep’s Wool Pile Fabric?
Soul Comfort’s health Merino Sheep’s Wool pile fabric is a top quality material that is produced in Australia and designed for the health field. The shorn Merino wool is put through a super wash, which makes it machine washable and dryer safe to hospital standards of 70 °C. Then the wool is woven into an acrylic backing and stabilized with potato starch.
WHY USE AN ACRYLIC BACKING & POTATO STARCH?
Acrylic doesn’t mildew or get moldy. It dries quickly, and doesn’t lose shape.
Acrylic has been used in the drapery & clothing industry for over 30 years with no reported cases of allergies.
Potato Starch has been used to iron shirts and press clothing in the recent past.
Potato Starch is an organic stabilizer.
SOUL COMFORT'S HEALTH MERINO SHEEP’S WOOL PILE FABRIC
We use three different types of sheep’s wool, predominantly Merino wool.
Available in both 850 gram and 950 gram per square meter of surface area.
Fibres of the 950 gram are sheared in combination of ½” and 1” lengths. The 950 gram density matches the Hi-Temp green medical sheepskins.
This Merino sheep’s wool pile fabric exceeds sheepskin in strength and durability.
In tough economic times how can we afford to ignore the cost savings and health benefits of using wool?
Soul Comfort would gladly participate in any medical trials using our Merino Sheep’s Wool Pile Fabric.
