ARION GROUP AND ENVIDA PARTNERSHIP IS REDEFINING FOOT CARE IN HEALTHCARE SETTINGS
Swash® concept of washing without water has been the expert in bathing people with reduced mobility for more than 20 years. From standard bathing products to antiseptic wash, in-between care, incontinence care and hair care, Swash® helped nurses and caregivers provide optimal care to the people in need of assisted care.
A new Swash® product category
In February 2024, we extended our product category with the addition of the footcare. The new foot care product completes the body wash, making Swash the brand that can deliver personal care from toe to hair. Right, from toe to hair, toe first, because that’s how important we think our feet are for our overall well-being! Healthy feet help us move around, carrying our weight and giving us freedom to carry out our daily activities.
Nurses are innovators on the go – finding suitable solutions for their patients
The latest Swash product launched by Arion is the result of a fruitful collaboration with nurses from Envida – a Dutch healthcare organization.
The idea of a product for footcare came from stories we heard from nurses in different European countries. They told us about situations where they needed to perform a thorough foot wash, because the feet of the patient were in a poor condition – very dry skin, hard-to-remove dirt e.g – but they did not have the right product to tackle the problem. Neither did they have enough time for a traditional foot bath with wash basin, water and soap. What the nurses found to be the solution for those situations was to use the Swash® Shampoo Cap on the feet!
As Arion’s CEO, Erik Joosten, often says “Irritation leads to innovation”.
We investigated this problem and tried to see if we can offer a better product. A product that not only removes the hard dirt but can also give the feet the care they really need.
We looked at our Swash Shampoo Cap and started to make changes and adjustments of the product in our in-house labs, to make it more suitable for what nurses needed. The first prototype had a better shape and new lotion, but as it turned out later, it still needed a lot of fine-tunning.
Collaboration between manufactures and care organizations leads to better products for heathcare sector
When we reached out to the nurses from Envida, they were very open to testing our prototype. After trying it with several volunteer customers, Envida gave us constructive feedback on how the products work in practice. The collaboration between Arion Group and Envida represents a pivotal moment in the Dutch healthcare industry because of the combination of their knowledge and expertise. Envida knows best what the people on the floor need, while Arion Group has the time and knowledge to develop the product that answers the needs of the people in the healthcare sector.
This partnership proved that collaboration between healthcare organizations and business is key to identifying innovative solutions that address current healthcare challenges and lead to improving patient outcomes. Through shared expertise and a commitment to excellence, both organizations have joined forces to develop a product that is easy and time efficient for the nurses and pays particular attention to foot health of the patients.
The product that gives the feet the care they really need
Arion‘s latest product, the Swash® Foot Cap, marks a significant step towards more attention and better care for the feet in the healthcare setting. Patients and nursing homes residents can only keep a level of independence and mobility if their feet are healthy, and they don’t feel any discomfort while walking. Oftentimes care recipients are ashamed to talk about their feet, although they feel pain or discomfort. When foot problems remain unnoticed, patients slowly feel more discouraged to go for a short walk. In the long term, this significantly impacts the mental health and overall well-being of the patient.
Developed in collaboration with Envida’s team of ergocoaches, Swash® Foot Cap challenges protocols by underscoring the importance of comprehensive foot care for this often-neglected aspect of overall well-being.
We are thankful for developing the Swash® Foot Cap based on constructive feedback from Envida ergocoaches, a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation in healthcare. This partnership with Envida has enabled us to push the boundaries of footcare, offering patients and healthcare professionals alike a transformative solution that prioritizes comfort, efficacy, and long-term health, said Erik Joosten, CEO at Arion.
Present at the launch event held on the 1st of February at Arion’s HQ, Envida ergochoaches involved in the product development echo the sentiment that feet are crucial for the patient’s wellbeing and deserve more attention than what they currently get.
Does your feet or your patient’s feet can also benefit from a quick and thorough foot bath?
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The personal care from toe to hair aims at putting the feet back on the ground
A 2023 study indicates that: “96% out of 301 residents suffer from xerosis cutis (abnormally dry skin). Especially the feet are affected (86%)”1
When the skin of the feet becomes too thick and dry, there is a higher chance of cracks and infections.
With a shortage of caregivers and an increase in the ageing population, we know that the only way to alleviate the pressure is supporting the people to remain mobile and independent for as long as possible. That can only happen when we ensure their feet are carefully inspected and cared for regularly. Swash® Foot Cap supports nurses in providing a thorough foot wash without taking more time during the care routine. When the care routine starts with putting the Foot Cap on the feet, the nurse can carry on the other tasks while the skin of the feet benefits from the caring ingredients used in the lotion.
Button: Read more about Swash Foot Cap
Arion welcomes collaboration with healthcare providers in discussing any future products that alleviate the pressure on the caregivers, while offering quality care for the patients.
Written by Camelia Muresan