Innovation for independence Catharina Borgenstierna, Bestic AB

The significance of the meal 2© Bestic AB All rights reserved.

Who is being fed today? 3 Examples: ALS Rheumatic CP Parkinson MS Polio Spinal disorder Ataxia Amputation Stroke Brain injuries According to the EU-project ”SILVER” approx. 0.2% of the population is being fed. In Italy: app persons! © Bestic AB All rights reserved.

Many aspects of eating changes with increasing age Psychological factors: Dementia, depression, confusion Physical disabilities: – Motor disorders – Cognitive disorders – Perceptional disorders – Oral health Age related changes: – Taste, smell, sense Psychosocial circumstances – Marital status, living arrangements 4© Bestic AB All rights reserved. Eating difficulties: Position during the meal Handling of food on the plate Transportation of food to the mouth Handling of food inside the mouth Swallowing Strength and energy

Consequences Eating problems may in the long run result in malnutrition, malaise and decreased well-being. 5© Bestic AB All rights reserved.

Malnutrition Facts Older adults at nutritional risk tend to make more visits to physicians, hospitals and emergency rooms. Malnourished patients have hospital stays nearly twice as long as those of well-nourished patients, and costs of their stays are $2,000 to $10,000 higher. Malnourished older patients are readmitted to hospitals more frequently than those who are well- nourished. © Bestic AB All rights reserved.6

Malnutrition Cost for Sociey Data from UK shows that societal cost for malnutrition is more than 13 B€ per year, which equals more than 10% of the total healthcare costs and twice as much as the costs for treating obesity. © Bestic AB All rights reserved.7

Feeding robot?? © Bestic AB All rights reserved.8

No! Eating Assistive Device… Our origin - Sten Hemmingsson 9 Everyone who would like to eat by themselves should be able to do that! Everyone has the right to independence, dignity and a positive mealtime experience. © Bestic AB All rights reserved.

Benefits of eating devices Social advantages for user – Independence, dignity, freedom Medical advantages – Improved appetite, eat more food – Less risk of choking and coughing, easier to swallow – Conserves energy Staff – Improved ergonomics – Less stressful work – Improved communication Organization – Simplified scheduling – Increased flexibility Society – Dcreased risk of falling, pressure wounds connected to malnutrition – Less cost of treating malnutrition – Less eating difficulties, improved nutrition Cost: 15-20€/meal Cost: 1€/meal first three years

Implementation experiences from Denmark and USA User’s perspective: ”I feel more like a human being” ”I am able to have a private conversation” ”I can eat in my own pace, time and the food tastes better” Increased independence, confidence, higher quality of life Caregiver’s perspective: Experience less stress, improved working environment More equal communication It requires a positive attitude from management and care staff to be successful The total duration of the mealtime decreased with 16 min/person/meal Investment pay-back time: 212 days 11

Testimonials from Sweden City of Helsingborg: ”We have decided to invest in Bestic in order to offer our residents in care homes a possibility for increased independence. We have earlier worked with the mealtime situation with place setting, table placement and to appeal to all senses, but Bestic brings a new dimension; independence.” Stellan Holm, Director Elderly Care Homes in Helsingborg © Bestic AB All rights reserved.12

About the company Bestic AB We offer innovative devices, mealtime services for quality improvements and information systems. Bestic (the device) is a CE-marked medical device, Class I The product is produced in Eskilstuna, Sweden 5 employees today + network of professionals Salespartners in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, UK, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain and USA Today 200+ devices sold and installed

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