Hospital beds didn’t always look good. They used to look old; they were heavy and dirty and made from cast iron. These hospital beds had broken spring mattresses that were quite uncomfortable. The hospital beds made these days aren’t quite heavy. They are lightweight and weight about 500 Ib. These beds can be disassembled easily into 5 pieces so they can be separated, transported, and assembled with ease and in a little time. The quality of mattresses has also improved over time. So, the question is “when does a hospital bed become necessary”?
Hospital beds are not only for sick or elderly people. In recent times, hospital beds are called Electric beds because they are particularly useful for people suffering from back and abdominal pains or recovering from surgery so that they can easily get in and out of bed. A fully electric bed is easy to adjust. The head and foot can be adjusted to improve comfort and convenience.
Reasons for using a hospital bed
1. Improved positioning for patients: Heat is usually trapped between clothing and skin when a person stays in bed for extensive periods. This leads to bedsore and pressure sore. These are uncomfortable and painful sores. A lot of times, hospital beds are important for body re-positioning and alleviation of sores through displacement of pressure.
2. Injury or immobility: Injuries and surgeries cause immobility and make it difficult for people to go from place to place. When people sustain injuries, it becomes difficult to climb the stairs. Renting a hospital bed is usually a temporary solution and convenient option for getting in and out of bed as it reduces and lessens pain. It enhances independence.
3. Improved circulation: Hospital beds are adjustable. The position of the head and feet can be enhanced. Due to this, periodic changes take place in the pressure point of the body leading to improved blood circulation while in bed.
4. Safety: Hospital beds are very important for people that require caregiving and special monitoring as it restrains them from falling. This bed helps to keep them in check especially people with dementia or cognitive impairment. They feature adjustable half rails that can slide up and down.
5. Transferring: Transferring is one of the obvious benefits of hospital beds. The height can be lowered or raised by the caregiver so that the patient maintains a seated position, or moved to a wheelchair. People experiencing lower back pains or injury, or hip pains experience so much pain that it makes it difficult to get in and out of bed.
6. Caregiver Assistance: The use of hospital beds is extremely beneficial to caregivers. It makes it easier to pick patients out from bed and carrying them from one bed to another. It is a physically taxing exercise. The bed is easily adjustable, and this reduces the effect of transfer on the patient’s body. If the caregiver doesn’t have to go through much stress, the task is easier and it improves happiness and excitement in caring for the patient.