a practical benefit associated with the use of the foregoing preferred materials is that double chambered transfer mattress 2 retains a stained and discolored appearance for longer periods of time after use thereby alerting hospital staff or other care givers that a particular double chambered transfer mattress 2 has completed its useful life and must be discarded in one embodiment some or all of top panel 4 internal barrier panel 5 bottom panel 6 top perimeter band 8 bottom perimeter band 10 and plurality of baffle panels 11 may comprise a cold water soluble partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol cold water insoluble hot water disintegrable aliphatic polyester and minor proportions of processing and performance aids the aliphatic polyester has a melt temperature above the normal body temperature of a human 37 degrees c 98 6 degrees f and is present in the resin blend at a concentration sufficient to constitute the continuous phase of the blend with the polyvinyl alcohol constituting a discontinuous phase of the blend the aliphatic polyester renders the resin blend and the partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol in the blend is cold water insoluble and determines the temperature at which articles formed from the blend will be subject to dissolution in an aqueous bath and subsequent disposal a practical benefit associated with the use of the foregoing material is that double chambered transfer mattress 2 not.