Zorgtotaal 2015: people-oriented innovation for and by the field of work

As always, Care Housing had its own position at the biennial event Zorgtotaal/Zorg & ICT in the Jaarbeurs Utrecht, where on March 18, 19 and 20, three well-filled halls offered space to some 250 suppliers and service providers from the broad sector. In recent years, market players have been focusing more and more on integral care for clients and customers, with a care environment at the service of the end user. People-oriented innovation is the credo.

The healthcare industry is in a transition phase, with decentralization and separation of living and care being key concepts. Organizational implications aside, this means that end users are more in the picture. Where personal control is increasing and people are living at home for longer, institutional care is shrinking in the short term. In the long term - with an aging population - the share of heavy care is expected to grow, giving intramural nursing a more intensive character and making private initiatives a growth market. Depending on their business focus, market players are trying to shape these developments. For example, with digital innovations that reduce the personnel burden - such as in the context of remote monitoring, or with the integral provision of furniture including care apartments.

Customized scholarship offerings
Zorgtotaal/Zorg & ICT, which attracted just under 20,000 visitors this year, is traditionally crowded with employees of institutions, from staff members to nurses. They once again found a tailored trade fair offering in 2015, with a Skills Lab, demonstrations of product innovations, a debate on the enhanced role of the Social Support Act (Wmo) and a seminar on the changing positions in healthcare real estate. Rewards for efforts made should not be missing at a normative event such as ZorgTotaal/Zorg & ICT. Thus, the ten nominees from the healthcare sector for the Computable Awards to be presented in November were already presented at Zorg & ICT, including Maxima Medisch Centrum's Living Lab project, from which, among other things, a birthmark app has emerged, as well as MRDM's (Medical Research Data Management) national breast implant registry.

Healthcare Innovation Start-up Award
The Healthcare Innovation Start-up Award is a recurring award focused on meaningful innovations for a changing industry. "Product innovations that have impact and can be scaled up," the judges said on Wednesday, March 18.
Care robot Zora, a robot with "a high cuddliness factor" that is used with residents of care centers, autistic children, on children's wards of hospitals and in pediatric rehabilitation, won this year's award. The 57-cm "human robot" has voice functions and a camera, and is intended for distraction and entertainment. Zora won out over nine other nominees at the 2015 fair, including an Internet app for people with disabilities and a care portal aimed at creating a social network.

Building for care
The substantive program was partly shaped by company presentations, including one by Lengkeek Architects & Engineers ('Building for care'). Jeroen Kreijne & Renske van Dieren argued for a 'future-oriented' care (building) offer integrated with urban planning, based on the latest developments, such as the separation of housing and care. "People are living at home longer; as a result, an additional 44,000 adapted homes are needed each year. About eight hundred nursing homes are disappearing; they are being repurposed as nursing homes or suitable housing. Because of the aging population, there is still a need for housing for the heavier RMPs." There is no point in gloom, say Kreijne and Van Dieren, because there are "plenty of opportunities. Especially in the context of transformation of existing real estate, attracting third parties as tenants/users and smart new construction, which is easily adapted to circumstances.

Healing environment
The changing role of Wmo was addressed in Thursday's fair debate. Speakers included an alderman, a supervisor and the office coordinator of the Koepel Wmo-raden. A seminar of the BNO (Beroepsorganisatie Nederlandse Ontwerpers) in the same Croesezaal had as its theme 'healing environment': in what way design and interior of care environments can contribute to the healing, care and well-being of the users. Speakers included architect Milee Herweijer (Op ten Noort Blijdenstein), who is researching the phenomenon, as well as medical specialists and a patient. The already mentioned Skills Lab, focused on nursing demonstrations, is a recurring and popular fair element, as is the Innovation Route, which leads visitors past booths of companies offering product innovations. Some innovations are discussed in more detail below.

Vervoort
As the "care furnisher of the Netherlands," Vervoort offers a "contemporary interior, away from the traditional institutional atmosphere," says care manager Joost Graat. "That atmosphere is definitely a thing of the past; at the same time, much is changing in healthcare. Like the separation of living and care, which often requires customization, for example in the context of furnishing small-scale residential groups for people with dementia. Then we are in the right place as a complete furnisher. Feeling at home is timeless. We put people first and relieve the client. We offer attractive furnishings that strongly emphasize the feeling of home. Trends in care furniture are of course always there; currently solid wood is very popular and there is a lot of attention to fire prevention, among other things."

English
Storage of medical devices and waste is commonplace in hospitals and healthcare facilities. The right logistics can make all the difference, says account manager Martijn van Kessel of storage and transport materials specialist Engels. "Think of the disposal of incontinence diapers; this involves a huge flow of goods. Or the transport of waste bins. An investment in a high-quality loose undercarriage can make a big difference in the lifespan of waste containers. We can take care of everything in-house, including recycling of storage and transport materials. Project-related or not, but always in close cooperation with our customers, such as LUMC, UMC Utrecht and Maastricht UMC+."

Bussman Medical & Research
Modular construction has a future in healthcare, says sales manager Dick Blommendaal of Bussman Medical & Research. "Not only for temporary facilities, but also for new construction and even for OR centers. This makes it easier to build ORs in phases. We recently realized the first ever modular hybrid OR in Duffel, Belgium." Bussman Medical & Research expects to build the first modular hybrid ORs in the Netherlands soon. The modular construction specialist, which now derives 90% of its sales from the healthcare sector, has brought together a group of co-makers for this purpose, consisting of Lavero Medical (wall cladding), Elektro Klessens and de Koning (installations), Stöpler (medical equipment) and Lycalux (lighting).

Artimo Textiles
Artimo is the only supplier in the Netherlands with a full range of flame-retardant curtain fabrics. "We attach great value to one-on-one contact with the customer," says Ivo Sieben of the Roosendaal-based family business. "At the same time, we continue to innovate with our own developments, such as acoustic net curtains, which are not only flame-retardant and noise-blocking, but also 80% translucent. In addition, we have revamped the website, allowing customers to view all fabrics online." Most recently, Artimo supplied all the curtains and net curtains for the new Reinier de Graaf Gasthuis in Delft. "There we implemented the earth tones from the building design in the curtain colors."

wissner-bosserhoff
wissner-bosserhoff is continuously developing the 100% in-house-produced range of total solutions for healthcare, says managing director Netherlands & Benelux Erkan Sahin. "With a complete line of products for all price ranges, and this exhibition edition also some innovations again. Like the SafeSense system that works with sensors, allowing the presence and even breathing of the client in the nursing bed to be detected on a monitor. This makes it possible for healthcare organizations to monitor clients remotely. The nursing bed is not only becoming an information provider, our furniture is also becoming more homely in appearance. There's a lot of demand for that, as well as custom-made beds for Intensive Care. So we remain broadly oriented."

Goelst
Goelst is a manufacturer of a wide range of curtain suspension systems. Goelst has a link to healthcare through the separation rails on nursing wards, a specific product that is further developed based on customer requests and standards specifications (NEN 1010), says commercial/technical consultant Jos van Laere. "We offer an insulated suspension system that is ungrounded, saving costs. It also resists vandalism and prevents shedding, important aspects in mental health care. We recently delivered two kilometers of separation rails for the MST in Enschede. With our own product development, assembly, project, and service department, we are able to answer virtually any curtain rail question."

Moduleo
Moduleo specializes in the development and production of high-quality modular vinyl flooring (planks and tiles) for residential and commercial use. "We are the experts in natural-looking and luxurious vinyl flooring," says managing director of the Netherlands Arnoud van Ravensberg. "Our plank and tile collections are elegant, practical and also have a strong 'green' reputation."
All Moduleo products are available in a Click version (floating installation) and a Dryback version (to be glued).

Lensen
Lensen wants to be a one-stop shop for all furnishing wishes of the customer in healthcare. To this end, the total furnisher from Zaltbommel enters into partnerships with parties that can offer added value. Such as catering company Satelliet and catering company Colour Kitchen, which offers opportunities to disadvantaged young people. "Integral, demand-oriented and socially responsible our services must be," says director Edwin van der Waal. "Obviously with the aspects of 'experience' and 'hospitality' at the heart as ever, but the customer must be able to come to us for all their questions." The separation of living and care is a current theme; with product presentations in care centers, Lensen tries to reach not only the direct client but also the interested resident.

Van Wylick attention tops and guide lines
A new business unit of the well-known road reflector supplier Van Wylick from Sint-Michielsgestel specializes in attention and guide lines for people with disabilities. Chris van Wylick's family business profiles itself on the care market with a number of important references, such as Bartiméus in Doorn, Province House Friesland and Amsterdam's district office West. Attentions are supplied in stainless steel and plastic composite; guide lines only in plastic composite. Among other things, a patented sealant is used for fastening. "We are moving into a quality market with a quality product," says Chris van Wylick, who hopes to make a name for himself in the sector through Zorgtotaal 2015.

Lopital
Lopital specializes in product development, manufacturing, marketing and distribution of sanitary, medical and rehabilitation aids. As this year's exhibition innovation, Lopital is offering a lightweight ceiling elevator with a powerful motor (LikoGuard), which can handle a weight of up to 363 kg and operates with a hand-held display that can read data such as lifting history and battery condition. The LikoGuard is also equipped with an emergency stop system that can be operated from the ground with a red ribbon. Developed in Sweden, the LikoGuard works with a two-point safety latch, which Lopital says provides greater comfort, round vision and safety for the client and greater ease of use for the caregiver.