Do you want to help provide the best quality of care possible for your parent, spouse, or other loved one?
It can be difficult to watch loved ones get older: daily mobility and everyday tasks that used to be simple, suddenly aren’t anymore. Your loved ones may begin to struggle with getting out of bed on their own, may be a fall risk, or need to stay in specific seated positions to accommodate health conditions.
As family members age, risks of health complications and injuries also increase.
A home hospital bed can be an enormous help in caring for your loved one and providing them a happier, safer quality of life.
You may be wondering- how do I know when to buy a home hospital bed?
When to Purchase a Home Hospital Bed
When Your Loved One Experiences Decreased Mobility
As we age, many individuals find it challenging to get in and out of bed or adjust positioning on their own. Aching joints, injuries, and decreased strength can all play a role in seniors needing a bit more extra assistance.
When mobility becomes challenging, an electric hospital bed can provide a much needed helping hand. With the help of a motorized system, a hospital bed can:
- Change bed positioning (from a laying to a sitting position, elevate the feet, etc) with the touch of a button
- Raise and lower vertically, making it easier to enter and exit the bed
When Time in Bed Increases
This one is simple: the more time your loved one stays in bed, the more comfortable you want the bed to be for them, right? For seniors who spend most of their time in bed, a hospital bed can come packed with extra-comfortable features to make their day a little more relaxing. These can include:
- Greater Mattress Selection: Alternating pressure mattresses, air mattresses, gel foam mattresses, and many more options. Find a custom mattress perfectly suited to their unique needs.
- Easy Positioning Changes: Easy positioning allows them to eat meals with friends, recline to watch TV comfortably, raise the knees to alleviate joint pain, and more.
- Add-On Accessories: Attach a side table to help them access their belongings with ease, charge devices with easy-to-reach USB charging ports, and more. Thoughtful accessories and features can make all the difference.
When Safety Becomes a Concern
When it comes to keeping elderly individuals safe at home, few things are more important than fall prevention. At-home falls are one of the most frequent injuries for seniors at home, and can lead to broken bones, brain injury, and even death. According to the HHS, a total of 60% of all senior falls happen within the home.
Because of the risk of falls, it’s important to install safety features like grab bars, non-slip flooring, and proper lighting around the home– but did you know that a hospital bed can help protect against falls as well?
Hospital beds can come packed with several features to prevent dangerous slips and falls, such as:
- Bed Rails: Hospital bed rails can offer a supportive grip while entering and exiting the bed, as well as a barrier against accidentally rolling out of bed in the middle of the night.
- Hi-Low Systems: Most electric hospital beds have the ability to raise or lower the height of the bed with the press of a button. This allows you to lower the bed to the perfect height for transfers in and out of bed, helping loved ones feel secure and safe.
- Bed Exit Alarms: When the worst case scenario happens, it helps to be prepared. Bed exit alarms let you know as soon as a loved one accidentally falls out of bed in the middle of the night. This helps you respond as quickly as possible, making sure that they are safe.
Other fall prevention features include add-on stability accessories like trapeze bars, under-bed lighting to keep the floor visible during late-night transfers, and sturdy lockable wheels to keep the bed secure.
When You (the Caregiver) Need A Helping Hand
At-home hospital beds don’t just make day-to-day life easier for your loved ones, but they help you as well.
Between manually lifting, repositioning patients, and bending over to administer care, helping care for loved ones can lead to aches and pains of your own.
Don’t just take our word for it, either: according to a US Department of Health and Human Services Survey, homecare providers have “some of the highest occupational injury rates in the country”. By helping with daily care, you can put yourself at risk of back, neck, shoulder, and other musculoskeletal injuries.
A home hospital bed can help lighten the load– electric motors do the “heavy lifting” when it comes to moving and repositioning users in bed.
Where to Purchase an At-Home Hospital Bed?
When it’s time to purchase a hospital bed for your home, there are a couple of different options:
- Online Catalogs: Search through reputable online retailers like Med Mart. Filter through hundreds of hospital beds to match your budget, features, mattress types, and other items to find your perfect hospital bed.
- In-Person Stores: Check out your local DME providers and medical supply stores. While in-person stores may not have as many options as online catalogs, they do let you test out the equipment in-person prior to purchasing.
To learn more about specific features to keep in mind when purchasing a home hospital bed, check out our blog: 8 Considerations When Choosing a Hospital Bed for Home Care.
A happier, healthier, more independent life for your loved one may be as simple as the right home hospital bed.
To learn more, take a look at our catalog of the best home hospital beds on the market.