As people age, the type of bed one sleeps in becomes a very important consideration. This is especially true for seniors who are weak or unwell, and for such individuals, having a hospital bed suited for their needs can be a big advantage. Because these people may spend many hours lying in the bed, it is important to have the correct one.
Hospital beds have many advantages over your typical bed, both in terms of comfort and the different features available, such as adjusting the height. The features of hospital beds benefit not only patients but also caregivers and family members, making things easier for them as well.
Hospital Bed Types
When selecting a home care or hospital bed, there are two main types to choose from; manual hospital beds and electric hospital beds. Manual hospital beds are less expensive but also comes with less features. It does go up and down but the adjustments must be done manually, which can be a strain on the patient’s caregiver. If height adjustments won’t be done on a regular basis, a manual bed may be a good fit for you (and your budget!). Electric hospital beds are available in full electric and semi electric options. Full electric beds allow the height of the bed and the head and feet to be adjusted with a remote, while a semi electric bed only has electric height adjustments, while the head and feet adjustments are manual. So again, depending on the situation of the patient a semi electric bed might work for some while in other cases a full electric hospital bed will be needed.
Hospital Bed Sizes
A regular size hospital bed is 80 inches long and 36 inches wide. However there are beds that go up to 94 inches long and 54 inches wide. Hospital beds also come in many different weight options. Typically a bariatric hospital bed offers both a higher weight capacity and larger dimensions. A lot of the beds come with wheels which make them easy to move from one place to another whenever necessary.
Hospital Bed Accessories
Depending on the bed you choose, a hospital bed may come with the mattress, the rails, both or none.
Hospital Mattress Types
You will often be given an option to choose the type of mattress to go with your hospital bed, the standard types being either foam or innerspring. However there are many other types which are used for different conditions or for avoiding bed ulcers. These specialized mattress options include alternating pressure relief mattresses and low air loss mattresses.
Rails for Hospital Beds
It is smart to have bed rails on the side of the bed to protect the patient from falling out. Depending on your specific needs, you may prefer either half rails or full rails. To learn more about bed rails, check out this guide to bed rails.
Some of the leading brands in the hospital bed industry are Medline, Drive, Invacare and Roscoe. Some manufacturers even make special home-care beds which are different from the ones in a nursing home or hospital.
