Three years after implementing Empresa beds across multiple homes, we spoke with Amanda Norris, Associate Director at a nonprofit organization that supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and Autism.
Q: Can you tell us about the care setting you oversee and who you support?
I currently manage three group homes, two of which serve some of our most medically complex individuals, each supporting eight residents. The third home is for individuals with more stable medical conditions. All of our homes support adults within the IDD (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) community, and our focus goes beyond medical care. We strive to promote independence and a homelike environment. That balance is always important to us.
Q: What challenge were you facing before introducing the Empresa bed?
We were using standard hospital beds with bed rails, and they’d been a long-standing part of our care model. However, state and county regulations (specifically 6400 regulations) began to shift, and bed rails were increasingly viewed as restrictive so there was a push to eliminate their use with all individuals.
This raised significant concerns for me and my team about the risk of falls if we were to remove the rails. Another concern we had was around restricting independence: we want individuals to do as much as they can for themselves. With the removal of the bed rails, some individuals would lose the ability to roll over and hold onto the side to support themselves.
So that’s where our search for an alternative began: how could we remove bed rails as safely as possible?
Q: How did you first discover the Empresa bed?
Honestly, I don’t remember exactly how it came onto our radar but I do remember the moment we saw it demonstrated by the Accora team. Steve came out and showed us how it worked in one of our homes, and the impact was immediate. As soon as the bed lowered all the way to the floor, everyone on the team looked at each other, it was one of those “this is it” moments, this is exactly what we need to keep everyone safe.
Q: What other solutions were you exploring at the time?
We did consider a couple of options. I don’t recall the other brands we were looking at, but there was nothing that matched the capabilities of the Empresa bed.
In the IDD community we talk a lot about restricting the individual movement in any way, and we don’t support that. So we also looked at smaller bed rails, which we refer to as "quarter rails," but they were still considered restrictive. Another idea was to simply keep using bed rails and implement a restrictive procedure.
Q: What stood out about Empresa compared to other beds?
The floor-level feature was key. It offered immediate fall risk mitigation for residents who might roll out of bed. When paired with the high safety mat, it created a safer environment, reducing the risk of injury.
The bed also looks and feels more like something you’d find in a home, not a hospital. So to be able to move from a standard hospital bed to the Empresa bed, which is a lot more like a home bed, and have the capability for it to go to the floor, we were just so happy to have that as an option.
There was also the short assist bar, designed specifically to support residents in repositioning themselves. It’s assistive, not restrictive, and was just another feature where we thought this checks all of our boxes.
Q: How did you approach implementation across your homes?
We started small, testing it with one or two residents in one of our eight-bed homes. Once we saw how well it worked, we placed a flood of orders. At the second program, we installed Empresa beds for seven residents at once because I knew this was the direction we were going. Eventually, 16 of our 19 residents across all three homes were sleeping on an Empresa bed.
Q: What has the impact been since making that change?
It’s been transformational. In the past three years, we’ve had only two instances where one of our more active residents rolled out of bed and in both cases, they rolled onto the high safety mat, so had no injuries from doing this.
It was a whole new world for us, and it’s been so wonderful to find these beds because we were so scared to remove the bed rails.
Q: What kind of feedback have you received from residents?
The residents who are able to express themselves have been really clear they feel safer. One resident even reminds staff, "Don't forget to lower me down!".
Q. Have you found the Empresa bed to be restrictive in any way?
This bed is not restrictive in any manner. Our individuals who are able to toilet themselves call for staff and are able to position the bed independently.
Q: Has it brought any efficiencies to care management?
Definitely. Staff had to get used to the additional lower height setting as it’s lower than a standard hospital bed, and you have to hold both buttons to reach that final floor level. That was a small learning curve.
On the management side, we've seen a decrease in incident reports because residents are no longer rolling into bed rails or because staff have forgotten to put the rails up. And in the rare cases where a resident does roll out of bed, we’re seeing far fewer injuries, if any at all. It’s so rare now, and when it does happen, they roll onto the safety mat. That extra precaution makes a real difference.
We're now at a point where we can reevaluate which residents truly need the high-safety mats. For individuals who don’t move around much, we can remove them and start to fine-tune the environment to better suit each person’s specific needs and support care tasks.
Q: If another provider were considering switching to Empresa, what would you tell them?
I would just say, commit to it and do it, because you won't be sorry. If you’re in a situation where you have to remove bed rails, this is the safest way to do that and not compromise style or comfort. This is the route. Every facility should have these beds, in my opinion.
About the Empresa
The Empresa is our most advanced high-low bed, designed for senior living settings and adaptable to a wide range of resident needs, including those requiring bariatric support up to 525 lbs. Its low height of just 3.9 inches supports fall prevention, while the 31.5-inch high setting allows for comfortable caregiving.
Empresa features Accora’s BodyMove technology to reduce shear and pressure, making it ideal for residents at risk of skin damage.
With pre-programmed comfort and care positions, independent leg and backrest adjustments, and Trendelenburg functionality, repositioning is both easier and safer. Wrapped in a stylish, residential design with multiple headboard styles and finishes, Empresa combines clinical performance with elegant aesthetics.
