Being bedridden was the start of what felt like the end of life for Per Kristian. When he arrived at Lervig nursing home with a serious pressure ulcer on his tailbone, both himself, his wife and the nursing staff were sure of one thing: This was going to be a difficult and painful time with little prospect of improvement. He was weakened, he was exhausted, and he had lost faith that life could ever be more than four walls, a roof, and a nursing home bed.
For his wife, the situation was almost as heartbreaking. She saw her husband and every day felt like a grieving process that never ended. Seeing him bedridden, without energy and without hope, was a burden that left a mark on both body and soul.
She later described it this way: “I got scared every time the phone rang.”
But then something unexpected came. Something that was to be the start of a quiet revolution – both for Per Kristian, his wife, the nursing staff and everyone around him.
That’s when Tidewave was introduced.
A painful pressure ulcer
The pressure wound on his tailbone was not only painful – it was so severe that the nurses doubted whether he would ever be able to sit in a chair again and thus remain bedridden. They knew how demanding such wounds can be, how slow the healing process can be and how difficult it is to create good conditions when a patient lies completely still and cannot tolerate normal turning regimes.
But Tidewave changed everything.
The gentle, continuous movement distributed the pressure and created a whole new calm in his body. The pain gradually decreased, his sleep improved and he began to find his way back to something resembling energy.
Bedridden was no longer a fact. It didn’t take many weeks before the nurses discovered something they hardly dared to believe:
Per Kristian began to recover – really recover.
The turning point that felt like a victory
The turning point came when the nurses tried to put him back in a chair for the first time. What had previously been an impossible thought suddenly happened – and not only that, it went surprisingly well.
It was a victory. For him. For his wife. For the nurses.
There was a moment that meant more than many understand: sitting. To be able to change the perspective. To see the world from a different level than the mattress. To feel that the body could handle it.
For his wife, this was a relief. She could finally breathe a little more freely. She could lower her shoulders. She did not have to live in constant fear that her husband would remain bedridden, get worse or that the pain would be unbearable.
For the caregivers, it meant relief – less manual work, fewer heavy lifting, less risk of deterioration and more time to be caregivers rather than just problem solvers.
Closeness, community and presence in life
And then came the day no one had imagined:
The day when Per Kristian was wheeled out of his room.
Not because he had to go to treatment. Not because it was a necessary transfer. But because he could actually participate. Be involved.
It was the start of a series of small but life-changing moments. He began to participate in activities. He could sit long enough to be part of the community. He got back some of the things that all people need – closeness, community, presence.
The highlight was still the unforgettable day at Viking Stadium, where he got to see his favorite team train before the most important game of the season. For him, it wasn’t just an outing. It is proof that life is not over.
When one person gets help – many lives are affected
The story of Per Kristian shows what innovative health technology can mean in practice. Not just for the skin, for pressure sores or for pain relief – but for life. For everyday life. For the people standing around.
A bedridden patient affects many lives.
A patient who gets his life back – affects even more people.
Tidewave was not just an aid. It was the start of a new future for Per Kristian, his wife and everyone around them.