When it comes to buying a hospital bed for home use, there are many factors to consider. These five tips will help you evaluate the different hospital bed Toronto available to make the right decision for the patient.
Invest in the Mattress
When buying a hospital bed, it is worth investing most of your money on the mattress, not the frame. While it is desirable to have a frame that allows for easy patient repositioning and positioning adjustments, the mattress itself can significantly contribute to the patient's overall comfort and health. If a patient spends most of their time in bed, it may be worth investing in a premium mattress designed to help protect their skin from pressure sores.
Consider the Space You Have Available
Before buying a hospital bed, think about the particular room it will be in. Can you move a hospital bed around the room, around doors, steps, and other obstacles? How much room do you have in space, and what size bed can it reasonably accommodate? (Remember to allow for the space that other medical equipment may require.) Take measurements ahead of time to make sure you choose a bed that meets your needs.
Pay Attention to the High/Low Settings
Each hospital bed will have a maximum height and a minimum height to which it can be adjusted. Think about your patient care needs. If a patient is at risk of falling, does he need a shallow position for safety or transfers to and from a wheelchair?
Think about how you transfer the patient. If you are transferring from a wheelchair, you will need the bed to be at a different height than required to transfer from a Hoyer lift.
Decide Which Positions Are Important
When it comes to buying a hospital bed, you may find beds that only offer a few positions or more expensive beds that offer many more positions with
more versatility. Think about the most important positions to the patient, such as Trendelenburg, reverse Trendelenburg, or chair position.
Look for an Appropriately Sized Bed
Patients come in different shapes and sizes, and a hospital bed must fit a patient properly to be comfortable. Taller patients may need a bed with an extension, while other patients may need a wider bed to really feel comfortable.
Elevation
The height of a hospital bed is the distance between the bed frame and the floor. All hospital beds allow height adjustments to facilitate patient entry and exit and easier care by the caregiver.
If your loved one goes to bed frequently and gets up frequently, a low hospital bed may be a better option. If not, you'll want to make sure the bed height range provides a good compromise where they can safely get in and out of bed while still allowing the caregiver care them without straining their back.
Side Rails
Some hospital beds are equipped with side rails to prevent falls and keep the patient safe in bed. Half the rails protect the patient's torso, while the entire rails extend the length of the bed. These rails will be removable so your loved one can get out of bed when needed.
If your loved one is at risk of falling out of bed or getting out of bed when they shouldn't, such as certain sleep disorders or Alzheimer's disease, you'll want to keep an eye on this feature.
Benefits
When a person is recovering from illness or injury or living with a long-term chronic illness, a hospital bed is more suitable to meet their needs than a traditional bed. A person who uses a hospital bed will spend much more time in bed, both day and night.
The settings available with a hospital beds Toronto support various physical conditions and at different times of the day. During the day, the head can be elevated to
allow the person to sit comfortably, while the knee or foot area can also be elevated to aid therapy goals.
Hospital beds also make it easier for caregivers to care for the patient, as the height is also adjustable. The bed can be lowered to help the person get out of bed or stand up, so the caregiver does not have to bend over to care for the person.
Cost for Buying Hospital Bed
Hospital beds are sophisticated devices that help people with various medical needs. Depending on the brand and type of bed, as well as whether it is sold in a package (mattress and rails included), a hospital bed can range from $ 500 to a few thousand dollars.
Top Manufacturers of Hospital Bed
Many manufacturers that historically supplied hospital beds primarily to hospitals and healthcare facilities are now creating versions specifically designed for consumer and home use. These manufacturers include many of the ones we have listed in our previous reviews, such as Invacare, Drive Medical, Hill-Rom, Graham-Field.