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IT MIGHT look like a giant cigarette roller, but it’s actually a machine to help nurses and carers turn bedridden patients without damaging their backs. And it’s less scary for patients than previous lifting devices because they stay in contact with the bed while they’re being turned.

When sick people have to lie prone for long periods, they often get ulcers at pressure points. Turning the patient helps to relieve the pressure, and stimulates circulation. And in people with pneumonia, turning helps redistribute stagnant mucus in their lungs, so they breathe more easily.

But turning patients can give nurses and…

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