Hospital and long-term care beds are designed to provide comfort and care support for individuals with various mobility needs. They can be extremely useful for long-term care residents, those with limited mobility, and elderly individuals. For patients who spend most of their day in bed, this can be the most important piece of durable medical equipment for their everyday comfort.

When searching for the right long term care bed, it can be overwhelming to filter through hundreds of online options to find the perfect fit for your needs. Do you need a standard or specialty hospital bed? Electric bed? What safety features are important? Do you need any add-ons?

In this guide, we’ll dive into everything you need to know to find the perfect home hospital bed for yourself, a patient, or a loved one. 

There are three main types of hospital beds: manual, semi-electric, and electric beds.

Manual hospital beds: Require caregivers to adjust a patient’s position manually with a hand crank mechanism. 

Electric hospital beds: Bed positioning and adjustments can be achieved with the press of a button from a remote control. 

Semi-electric hospital beds: More affordable than fully-electric beds, a semi-electric hospital bed is operated with both manual and electric controls. 

In long-term care settings, full electric hospital beds are the most commonly used because they are easy to operate, reduce caregiver strain, and provide maximum comfort for patients. 

Hospital Bed Adjustability

In contrast to a regular bed, hospital beds are designed for adjustability. 

Expandable length/width adjustable beds: Some hospital beds offer expandable options to adjust the length or width of the bed without tools. This is a perfect solution for facilities that care for multiple patients, as it allows the bed size to be customized to fit each new user. 

Hi-Low beds: Need to raise the height of a bed to help a patient change a bandage? What about lowering the bed to help them safely transfer out of bed? With a hi-low adjustable bed, you can adjust the height of the bed in seconds. 

Hospital beds allow you to change the position of a patient with the press of a button. Raise the patient to a seated position, elevate their legs above their heart, or switch to a zero-gravity mode to relieve tension on joints. 

Here are the most common positions pre-programmed onto hospital beds. 

Trendelenburg/ Reverse Trendelenburg: Tilts the entire bed frame with the head section lower or higher than the feet.

Auto-contour: Raises the backrest and leg section together, rather than one at a time. This reduces the risk of painful skin shearing when adjusting the bed. 

Zero-gravity: Reduces pressure points throughout the body, alleviating neck and back pain. 

Best of all, many hospital beds come with a programmable remote. You can adjust the bed to your liking by using the controls, then save your preferred position to the remote to use later at any time. 

Will you need to regularly transfer the patient in and out of bed? Will the bed frequently be moved between rooms? Review any necessary mobility features like a lockable height, detachable bed ends, and pedal-operated wheel locks. 

In addition to wheel locks and assist rails, hospital beds come with several additional safety features for peace of mind. 

For example, customizable side rails help provide extra support for patients transitioning in and out of bed. Have a patient who needs to be closely monitored or is at risk of falls? A bed exit alarm can instantly alert caregivers if a patient vacates the bed. 

Some hospital beds can provide specialized support for specific patient needs. 

Bariatric hospital beds: Designed for individuals with higher weight capacities (600+ lbs), bariatric beds provide increased support with wider dimensions, reinforced frames, wider side rails, and more.

MedSurge beds: Hospital beds are used for patients with higher needs who are receiving advanced medical or surgical care. These beds typically include extra features and medical equipment functionality for hospital settings. 

Sleep-to-Stand hospital beds: Take easy transfers one step further. These beds can take patients from a lying to fully upright or standing position with a press of a button.

Weight Capacity: Can the bed safely support the intended user's weight?

Adjustable Positions: What kind of pre-programmed positions does the bed include? Can you save custom positions with a programmable remote? 

Mobility and Maneuverability: Will you need to frequently move the bed between rooms or through care facilities? Review the bed’s mobility and locking features. 

Safety Features: What safety features are most important to you? Identify any necessary safety features like locking mechanisms, bed exit alarms, emergency stop buttons, and more. 

Add-ons: Consider add-ons like overbed tables, trapeze bars, assistive equipment, and IV poles.

The right home hospital bed can make a world of a difference when it comes to improving patient comfort, health outcomes, and sleep quality. 

Whether you're looking for an electric bed, bariatric hospital bed, manual hospital bed, or affordable standard hospital beds, Med Mart's online catalog is guaranteed to have the right hospital bed for your needs.

If you need any help, our team of product specialists is always a phone call, message, or email away.