4 Benefits Of Having A Hospital Bed Installed In Your Home

According to studies conducted by Sleep Medicine Clinics, approximately 50% of senior adults say that they have sleep difficulties. In addition to this, studies confirm that older individuals aren’t getting the optimal amount of sleep per night.

When this was looked at closer, elderly tend to have disjointed sleep patterns which was characterized by problems returning to sleep after waking and difficulties staying asleep.

The old saying ‘there’s no place like home’ is as true for those suffering from illness as it is for everyone else. For patients, there many benefits to being cared for in a familiar and comforting environment. Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the main ones. It helps patients to be in familiar surroundings with the people that they love and who understand their needs and wishes in detail.

However, a hospital can provide specialist equipment, including hospital beds, that assist with movement and have special features to help people with illnesses and mobility problems to get comfortable.

Most hospital beds have electrical mechanisms that allow them to be adjusted to the perfect position without any effort. They have castors that make them easy to move around and they are made of materials that can be easily cleaned. So, why not have the best of both worlds and install a hospital bed at home? Here are the four main benefits of doing just that.

 

1.   It Makes the Carer’s Life Easier

Caring for a loved one at home is a hugely rewarding experience but it can also be physically and emotionally demanding. It can take a lot of physical effort on the part of the carer to help the patient into a comfortable position.

Hospital beds have electronic mechanisms that make them fully adjustable. This takes the hard work out of moving a patient. The height and backrest can be adjusted and there can be a profiling feature that stops the patient from slipping down. This helps to prevent sprains and strains for the carer. It also maintains the dignity of the patient.

 

2.   It Maintains Safety

Falls are a risk when you are caring for someone at home and can result in patients having to be readmitted. Hospital beds are designed to keep the patient in the bed and stop them from accidentally falling out. They are more sturdy than regular beds and have side rails. If a patient rolls over, the side rails will prevent them from falling out of bed. The side rails can be adjustable to suit the particular needs of the patient. They have the added advantage of providing a sturdy structure that patients can grab hold of if they want to move themselves around the bed.

 

3.   It Allows Patients to Stay at Home for Longer

A hospital bed will allow a sick patient to spend more time at home rather than in hospital. This is useful both for convalescence and end of life care. With a hospital bed at home, the family of the patient will be able to cope with challenging health and mobility issues without the need for the patient to be admitted to hospital.

Because hospital beds have strong wheels, they are easy to move from one place to another around the home.

 

4.   It is More Comfortable

Patients spend long periods of time in a hospital bed and some may be completely bed-bound. The comfort of the bed is critical for their well-being.

Hospital beds have been designed specifically for people who spend a lot of time in bed. Depending on the patient and their required level of care; a decent medical bed and orthopedic mattress should be considered as a long term investment in their health.

There will be additional features to ensure that the patient is able to get into a comfortable position for sleeping. Pressure mapping features assist with preventing pressure sores and they are designed to be comfortable when the patient is sitting as well as when they are laying down. Four section profiling allows for precise adjustment using a handset so that the position can be effortlessly adjusted during the night.


Conclusion

Ultimately, this consideration is subjective and depends on the level of care needed for the patient. But when debating between a medical grade bed versus traditional – hospital beds have an entirely different construction – a combination of metal, plastics and timber. Most medical beds have a rigid steel frame that offers support and strength for almost all patient sizes and weights.

That said, above a certain weight threshold, it is recommended that you consider bariatric beds which cater for larger patients as they tend to provide superior safety and comfort for both patient and caregiver.

 

Sources

Home care: more than just a visiting nurse https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23940375/
Sleep and Its Disorders in Seniors https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2516307/

 

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Written by HealthStatus Crew
Medical Writer & Editor

HealthStatus teams with authors from organizations to share interesting ideas, products and new health information to our readers.

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