As sleep is an essential requirement for a person, a mattress holds a special significance to provide relaxed and peaceful sleep. Selecting a mattress requires special attention when you are choosing one for a disabled person. Such people have their own requirements when it comes to selection of the right bedding. You need to understand their needs and the available options in the market to find the best one for them.
Most of the beds that have built-in special features are available in the form of a double bed. One side of such beds look as a standard bed whereas the other side has specialized features built into them. We are providing you some useful tips that will help you make wise mattress selection decisions.
Signs of a disabled person
Below are the signs that are found in a person with disabilities:
- People who need help to lie down in bed or sit up
- People who require back support while sitting in bed
- People who slide down their bed
- People who face difficulty in getting their legs in bed
- People who are not able to easily move or turn in bed
- People who find it hard to get out of bed
- People who can’t safely take their weight through their legs
- People whose have limited ability to move
- People who have continence difficulties
- People who have been dealing with back pain
- People who require help to take away bedclothes away from their legs
- People who wander or fall from their bed
- People who need to lie flat for prolonged time periods
Selecting the right mattress is important not just for promoting the overall good health of a person but also to overcome their disabilities and perform activities independently.
People who experience any of the above difficulties should definitely take help of an occupational therapist or physiotherapist. Sometimes bringing a change in the way you perform an activity or a technique assists you to manage your tasks independently without any need of an equipment.
Statutory provision of bed kit
A bed is regarded as a home nursing equipment that community nurses consider important to assist him or her by performing nursing duties effectively. Some of the items that may be supplied by a community nurse are as follows:
- Bed backrests, bed tables, bed cradles, bed linen and bed rails
- Beds such as mattresses, hospital kind nursing beds and pressure relief beds
- Small handling equipment and hoists
There are a few more items that are referred to as daily living equipment. It enables a person to perform their daily activities and make them a lot more independent. Some of the items that help them accomplish the task are:
- Rope ladders, self-lifting blocks, bed blocks, grab handles and lifting poles
- Mobile hoists and overhead
- Leg lifters
All the above types of equipment are supplied by social services. There are different authorities who have a legal responsibility to try these equipment and ensure that the equipment is provided as soon as possible after the need arises.
Lifting poles
Lifting poles are designed to move around, move into semi-lying positions or get inside and out of bed quite easily. Majority of them have a floor standing cantilever gantry. Some of them are bed or wall attached. If freestanding, then proper care needs to be taken to make sure that the base is positioned in a proper manner under the bed, or else the gantry frame can tip over.
A handle is adjusted to an appropriate height. People need to have enough strength to pull on it carefully. The user needs to have strong upper limbs and fairly good abdominal control. Lifting poles are less suitable for ones with painful shoulders, painful arms, abdominal weakness or limited overhead shoulder movement.
Pull Straps
A pull strap works in the same way as a rope ladder functions. In place of rungs to pull on, you will see loops in the strap. Some straps also have a clip that eases the task to secure the strap to the mattress. They are easy to transport and also light in weight.
Grab handles
The different kinds of grab handles available in the market are either bed-fixed, wall-fixed, or floor-fixed. They are often used to help someone turn over or sit up in bed. A few of these are fixed in one place, whilst others can be locked into a choice of many positions. Some of the stationary models could obstruct part of the bedside, thereby making it difficult to get in and out.
Floor-fixed rails can be a lot difficult to install whether the floor is made up of concrete. You must ensure that bed-attached models are properly and securely fixed. Some are inserted below the mattress and only depend on the body weight of the person to hold them in the right position. Make sure that there are no chances of entrapment inside the rail, either at the end of the rail or in between the mattress and the rail.
Mattress inclinators
Mattress inclinators are powered devices that can assist a person to sit and lie on its own. They can remain in an elevated position to form a backrest if needed to support a disabled person in a sitting position. Mattress inclinators are available for single as well as double beds. When buying a mattress inclinator, you need to consider following things:
- Check whether or not the mattress is fully compatible with the bed Hinged mattresses are highly suitable and foam filled or fiber mattresses are also a good option. Mattresses that have continuous wire edging are not appropriate and pocket sprung mattresses can get damaged over long-term use;
- Most of the inclinators don’t have a knee break so there can be a risk that the person could slip down the bed when he or she gets up after a prolonged period of sitting. 3- or 4-sectioned variable posture beds come with an option to elevate the knees of the person to prevent such happenings;
- Mattress elevators come with a hinged frame that is placed in between, and strapped to, the mattress and the bed base. As per the chosen model, the mattress is elevated by air from a powered compressor that inflates an airbag surrounded in the frame;
- The level of noise created by these units differs. So, you need to consider your personal choices and whether nearby people will get disturbed by it. Airbags have to be noisier, and hydraulic pistons need to be quieter;
- Most of the mattress inclinators are controlled using a handset. This has 2 separate switches or 1 rocker switch. You can get alternative controls such as a joystick sometimes
- Pillow lifters and mattress inclinators usually raise the level of person in the forward direction and away to some distance from the bedside cabinet. A few mattress models are also designed to slide in a backward direction when they lift. This brings the cabinet within reach.
Pillow lifters
Pillow lifters rest on the top layer of the mattress and below the pillow. It is the same as that of mattress inclinators but narrower and provides less support. If there is a danger that the person falls off sideways, then it is more suitable to use a variable posture bed or a mattress inclinator. Pillow lifters that have a knee break lessen the chances of falling down from the bed.
Variable posture beds
These types of beds have sections under the mattress inside the base. The sections have the ability to hinge to create a back raise and a leg raise too. This feature is called profiling. Some of the mattress manufacturing firms also come with a double bed option. It comprises two single beds that are placed close to one another. If required, you must ensure that the beds separate easily.
Conclusion
Above information would educate you about the sleep accessories for standard beds as well as beds with inbuilt special features that aid people with specific abnormalities. The features installed in the beds help them perform their job easily. So, the next time when you shop for a bed, make sure you attend to all these tips before you make a purchase.
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