care & love
Tucked away in the quiet residential neighborhood of Setagaya, Tokyo, Sunrise Rehabilitation Center has been a beacon of hope for over 15 years. With a mission to "make recovery feel less like a medical process and more like a journey back to life," the center specializes in post-stroke rehabilitation, elderly care, and post-surgery recovery. Most of their patients are seniors or individuals recovering from mobility-limiting injuries, and for years, the staff prided themselves on personalized care—until their outdated equipment started holding them back.
"We had 12 patients in our main ward, all with different needs," says Ms. Yuki Tanaka, the center's head nurse, as we sit in the staff lounge overlooking a sunlit garden. "Some needed help sitting up to eat, others required elevation to ease swelling, and a few were at risk of pressure sores. Our old manual beds? They just weren't cutting it anymore."
Sunrise had relied on manual crank beds for decades. These beds, while sturdy, required two staff members to adjust positions—cranking handles to raise the head or feet, struggling to lock wheels, and often leaving patients waiting in discomfort during peak hours. "I remember one evening, we had three patients needing repositioning at the same time," Ms. Tanaka recalls, wincing slightly. "Two nurses were stuck cranking beds for 20 minutes each, and by the time we got to Mr. Sato, he'd developed a headache from lying flat too long. That's when we knew: we needed a change."
The problems weren't just for staff. Patients often found the manual adjustments jerky or uncomfortable, and the beds offered limited support for "different nursing bed positions"—critical for preventing complications like pneumonia or deep vein thrombosis. "My mother has arthritis, and the old bed's hard mattress made her hips ache," says Mr. Takeshi Watanabe, whose 78-year-old mother, Mrs. Watanabe, stayed at Sunrise after a hip replacement. "She'd refuse to sleep, which slowed her recovery. We were all frustrated."
In early 2023, the center's director, Dr. Hiroshi Nakamura, formed a small team to research solutions. "We started with one question: What do our patients and staff actually need?" Dr. Nakamura explains. The list quickly grew: easy adjustability, safety features (like side rails and anti-slip mattresses), comfort, and durability. "And of course, we needed it to be affordable—rehabilitation centers don't have unlimited budgets," he adds with a chuckle.
The team dove into online research, scouring forums and reviews for "electric nursing bed manufacturers." They compared options from local Japanese brands to international suppliers, including "China electric nursing bed manufacturers" known for "fair price multifunction nursing bed" models. "We didn't want to compromise on quality for cost, but we also couldn't overspend," Ms. Tanaka notes. "We looked for beds with good after-sales service, too—if a motor breaks, we can't wait weeks for repairs."
After narrowing down to three brands, they visited trade shows and even called other rehabilitation centers for referrals. "One center in Osaka raved about their electric beds—said staff injuries from lifting had dropped by 60%," Ms. Tanaka says. "That sealed it: we needed electric."
The final decision came down to a "customized multifunction nursing bed" from a reputable manufacturer. What sold them? Its ability to adjust to "different nursing bed positions" with the push of a button—from Trendelenburg (feet elevated) to Fowler (head elevated) to lateral tilt (side-lying support). It also had a weight capacity of 300kg, soft yet supportive memory foam mattresses, and silent motors (critical for patients who nap during the day).
"We tested it with a volunteer patient—Mr. Tanaka, who'd had a stroke and struggled to sit up," Ms. Tanaka recalls. "With the old bed, two nurses would strain to get him upright. With the electric bed? He pressed a button on the remote, and it lifted him smoothly into a 45-degree angle. He teared up and said, 'I haven't been able to sit up and watch the garden in months.' That's the moment we knew we'd found our bed."
In April 2023, 12 new electric beds arrived. The first step? Training the staff on "how to use nursing bed" features. "We had a trainer from the manufacturer walk us through everything—programming favorite positions for regular patients, troubleshooting errors, even cleaning the motors," says Nurse Akira, who's worked at Sunrise for eight years. "At first, I was nervous about the technology, but it's surprisingly intuitive. Now, I can adjust a bed in 30 seconds flat."
Patients also received quick tutorials. "We gave each patient a simple remote with large buttons—no confusing menus," Ms. Tanaka explains. "Mrs. Watanabe, who's a bit tech-shy, now adjusts her bed herself to read or watch TV. It's given her back a sense of independence, which is huge for mental health."
Six months later, the impact is clear. Staff injuries from manual lifting have dropped to zero, and nurses report spending 20% less time adjusting beds—time they now spend on patient care, like physical therapy or conversation. "I used to spend an hour a day just cranking beds," Nurse Akira says. "Now, I can sit with Mr. Sato and help him practice swallowing exercises, or chat with Mrs. Watanabe about her grandchildren. That's the care we joined this field to provide."
Patients are happier, too. "My recovery has been twice as fast," says Mr. Tanaka, the stroke survivor. "I can sleep through the night without hip pain, and sitting up helps me eat better—so I have more energy for therapy. I even look forward to bed time now!"
| Feature | Old Manual Beds | New Electric Beds |
|---|---|---|
| Adjustment Time | 5–10 minutes (2 staff needed) | 30 seconds (1 staff or patient) |
| Position Options | 2 basic positions | 8+ positions (including lateral tilt) |
| Patient Comfort | Hard mattress, jerky adjustments | Memory foam, smooth transitions |
| Staff Strain | High (cranking, lifting) | Low (button controls) |
For Sunrise, the switch to electric nursing beds wasn't just about upgrading equipment—it was about honoring their mission. "At the end of the day, rehabilitation is about people," Dr. Nakamura says. "If a better bed helps a patient sleep, eat, or move more easily, that's not a 'cost'—it's an investment in their recovery. And when patients recover faster, that's the best ROI we could ask for."
As for other centers considering the switch? Ms. Tanaka has simple advice: "Talk to your staff and patients first. What do they struggle with? Then find a bed that solves those problems. It might seem like a big expense, but once you see the smiles on patients' faces—and the relief on your nurses'—you'll wonder how you ever managed without it."