To spend all day, every day in the best traditional bed available would soon have you depressed, aching and susceptible to bed sores or pressure ulcers because you would be limited in your movement. The ability to adjust your feet and upper body with little effort is often enough to ease the mind and give sweet relief to the body. Without a bit of movement throughout the day, your skin can quickly be damaged by pressure, loss of blood flow, moisture and friction. Treating bed sores is expensive, difficult and often quite painful. It's much better to avoid them!

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For the family members and medical professionals serving as care-givers, a proper hospital bed for the patient is more than simply a convenience. A happier, more comfortable patient is easier to serve. Using the adjustments properly can save back strain for the person helping to move the patient into and out of the bed. This is especially important if the patient is obese or unable to sit up without assistance.

Most proper hospital beds offer the ability to raise and lower the entire bed. This means that you can lower the bed to have the patient’s feet on the floor when sitting on the bed, so they can stand up without jumping or sliding down off the mattress. Getting back into bed is easier as well. You can raise the bed to allow caregiver comfort when attending to dressings, hygiene and medications. Stooping over a patient in a regular bed is a quick way for a caregiver to develop back problems.

Being able to sit the patient upright for meals and social interaction using an adjustable hospital bed is much easier than stuffing an assortment of pillows behind them and working to get them all just right. Using pillows requires the patient to lean much further forward than they need to just to get pillows placed. All but the lowest priced hospital beds have an electrical control that even the patient can use for finding the most comfortable or effective position throughout the day or night. (Non-electrical models have hand-cranks located at the foot of the bed.)

Key distinctions between a Hospital Bed and an Adjustable Bed

Structure – An adjustable bed is designed to take the place of your traditional bed and comes in a variety of sizes and firmnesses. A hospital bed is typically 36' x 80" to allow easier access for care-givers on both sides of the patient.

Portability – Hospital beds can be rolled on lockable casters. This allows you to more easily position the bed for better care, better views for the patient or better access for visitors. Many have built-in or optional features for handier storage and movement.

Accessories – Hospital beds are equipped to handle a variety of necessary accessories such as sturdy bed rails, adjustable tables and traction equipment.

Mattress Options - Adjustable beds are aimed primarily at comfort. Hospital beds offer both comfort and performance centred around medical requirements. Traditional hospital bed coil-spring and pressure relief foam mattresses are durable and come with waterproof, acid-resistant, anti-static and anti-bacterial covers.

Summary

For the benefit of both the patient and those in charge of providing care and comfort, a hospital bed in the home is often the ideal solution. The patient is more comfortable, able to rest easier, and gets better care. The caregiver has an easier job as well, because the features of a hospital bed allow better access, movement and positioning of the patient.