|
|
Health & Wellness Articles |
Shop For Betty Mills Medical & Sanitary Supplies
How to Shop For A Home Hospital Bed |
|
Home hospital beds have become an essential need when caring for a beloved elderly at the comfort of your home. They are designed to be comfortable and safe beds for them to heal and recover. However, shopping for one is a very daunting task as you will need to consider many factors. How to shop for a home hospital bed is a great responsibility, and we are here to help you with this.
Types of Hospital Beds
Unlike traditional beds, a hospital bed is far better as it can be adjusted to be either raised or lowered and specialized depending on a patient's need. With regular home beds, caregivers may encounter difficulty in providing specific care procedures. So for better patient care, you need to know what type of bed the user will need.
Generally, there are three types of hospital beds you can choose from which are:
Manual These manual beds do not have any electric features. Manual-type beds are operated with hand cranks that require arm strength is being used to adjust the position of the bed's head and foot section. Manual features make it often priced lower than more advanced beds.
Manual beds are a good choice for patients who do not require too much positioning. Bed height adjustment is not available for these types of beds.
Semi-electric Semi-electric beds have the combined features of a manual and electric bed. Unlike the manual-type beds, the bed height can be adjusted through a hand crank, while the caregiver can position the head and foot sections electrically.
With this type, patients can easily re-position the bed's head and foot section without the caregiver's assistance. You can choose this type if you don't have enough budget to get a fully electric hospital bed.
Electric Electric-type beds allow a total electric adjustment of the bed height and the head and foot sections through a touch button. This feature makes it the most expensive type of hospital bed in the market. Electric hospital bed types are also commonly used in healthcare facilities and are further classified into three categories:
1. Bariatric Hospital Beds Bariatric hospital beds are more comprehensive and broader than most standard hospital beds. These beds are designed to accommodate heavy-sized patients. Heavy-duty mattresses are specifically designed for bariatric patients who weigh up to 1200 pounds. The mattresses measure up to 54 by 88 inches in size.
2. Low-height hospital beds These beds are similar to standard hospital beds. These beds can be lowered to 20 to 25 cm from the floor or almost as low as the floor height. Low hospital beds are designed to avoid falls and prevent injury in patients who have difficulty getting up, into, and out of bed. If you don't want to avail of side rails, a low bed is a good option.
3. Safety Beds Similar to cribs, these beds have railings on all sides and are often used for children.
Factors to Consider When Getting a Hospital Bed Hospital beds come in various designs, shapes, and sizes. It may also come with advanced features that can be useful to both the caregiver and the patient. As there are lots of options for hospital beds in the market, choosing one can become overwhelming.
To shop with confidence, one must check all the crucial factors that a home hospital bed should have. Here are some of the critical factors that must be considered when shopping for one:
Mattress Check that the included mattress is of the desired size, thickness, and softness. A good bed mattress is not simply for sleeping; it also supports the head, neck, and spine of a user during rest.
Mattress Platform Profiling Mattress profiling is what differentiates a hospital bed from a regular bed. So, if your patient has exceptional needs, you should ensure that the mattress platform can be electrically operated and has a back or headrest, a knee-break, and a leg-raiser.
Ideally, it is best to purchase the mattress from the bed supplier to ensure the best fit. You may also want to check that it can accommodate air mattresses as well.
Colors Hospital beds also come in different wood colors. Some may be customized to a light or dark wood color, depending on your personal preference.
Height Adjustment A mattress platform that can be lowered to 40 cm from the floor and raised 80 cm from the bed's bottom is a good option. A safe working height for both the carer and the patient will avoid the risks of fall injuries.
Electrically
and Remote Operated
Materials and Quality Most beds are made with wood or metal material and finishes. As buying a hospital bed is a significant investment, you would want your purchase to be of top-notch quality. Make sure to look at the construction and build of the bed.
You should also ensure that it comes with at least a two to a three-year warranty on service and parts. A good warranty offer also means that the supplier is confident of the product's quality.
Design The design also plays an integral part in making the right choice. Hospital beds do not need to look clinically traditional and uninviting. You can ask the supplier to have the design customized for you or your patient. You can also blend it with your home's theme by choosing a warm and inviting wood color.
Supplier Choose a reliable and reputable brand or supplier that will give you a good product and service through research and reading buyer reviews. Try to find one that will offer you a suitable delivery and installation service. Do not forget to ask for after-care services and a product warranty.
Price If you want to get a bed that will last you long years, you may try to avoid priced too-low beds. Often, these low-priced beds do not come with high quality.
How to Choose the Right Hospital Bed Further, there are also factors to consider before buying a home hospital bed for your loved one. Some of these factors are:
1.Patient's Mobility The patient's mobility is a crucial factor in choosing a hospital bed. As some patients may have more needs than others, some questions that you should ask are: • Will they be able to get in and out of bed with ease? • Can they maneuver the bed easily by themselves? • Is the user prone to falling out of the bed and to injuries?
Note that some patients may have low muscular control and may be more prone to risks of injuries. Thus, getting the right bed for them is a great responsibility. You may want to get a fall mat for added safety in addition to side rails.
2. Length of Use A semi to a full electric hospital bed is recommended for patients who will need to stay on the bed most of the day. Otherwise, a manual or semi-electric bed will work its purpose for those who use it only short-term, like for those who will use it for a few weeks or months only.
3. Size and Weight of the patient Some of the unique conditions on this factor are the height and weight of the patient. Make sure that the home hospital bed dimensions will suit the user.
For larger patients, a bariatric bed will be the best choice as these beds are made with robust quality designed for heavier patients.
4. Strength and Mobility of Caregiver Some patients might be cared for by a spouse or other family members. If the caregiver is also elderly or weak, it is wise to consider a semi or full electric hospital bed.
5. Ease of Installation Some hospital beds have parts that may be too complex to assemble on your own. You may inquire early on if the supplier offers installation services that you may avail of in such cases.
Check that the supplier can guarantee professional installation service if you may not be capable of installing it independently. But if you decide to have it installed professionally, you should still ask for a detailed instruction manual in case a part of the bed may not work correctly or malfunctions.
Likewise, how to disassemble a home hospital bed is just as important as its assembly.
6. Added Bed features It is also essential to consider bed features that may assist the user and the caregiver. To maximize customizability, look for the following:
Tilt Options A standard bed may only offer basic positioning options of the head and foot sections. If your patient has more significant needs, you may want to consider a home hospital bed that can be adjusted to positions that include:
a. Trendelenburg This bed position option tilts the bed backward so that the feet are raised to be higher above the head. In 1881, medical professionals started to use the Trendelenburg tilt to improve patients who had pelvic organ surgeries. This option is also ideal for patients who have certain heart conditions.
b. Reverse Trendelenburg (also known as Anti-Trendelenburg) Opposite to the Trendelenburg position, the bed is tilted forward, so that patient's head is raised higher and the feet and legs are sloped downward (almost seated position). This position is best for relieving pressure in the head, especially for those who are obese and have a decreased respiratory function.
c. Fowler. A helpful intervention in respiratory distress conditions, this option allows users to be placed at a semi-upright angle of 45 to 60 degrees.
• Railings Caregivers choose to use bed railings to prevent users from falling off the bed. It may also be used for assistance while getting in and out of bed. Some beds may feature half or full-length side railings.
• Built-in Weighing Scales Hospital beds may come with a built-in scale feature that allows patients to be weighed as the need may arise.
• Storage Spaces. Some beds may come in handy with additional storage spaces for the patient's things like supplies and medicines.
• Grab Bars These lifting bars will help patients to shift to a particular position without needing to call for assistance.
Best Home Hospital Beds While there are many home hospital bed brands to choose from, we featured some quality and fully functional beds from trusted suppliers. We believe that the featured home hospital bed brands and their products make it an ideal choice for you and your loved ones.
Drive Medical Delta Ultra Light Full Electric Bed with Half Rails and Therapeutic SupportMattress
This Ultra-Light Drive Medical Delta Full Electric Bed is the best home hospital bed for patients who need to be positioned many times during the day.
The Drive Medical home hospital bed unit comes with a standard measurement of 36-inch in width and 88-inch in length. This home hospital bed allows height adjustment from standard to low and vice versa.
Ideally, it can suit your patient's changing needs as the proper height for the patient and caregiver is easily achieved. This makes it an ideal home hospital bed for level ii coma patients. It could also be the best home hospital bed for Parkinson's disease patients who are prone to falling.
The minimum bed height of the Drive Medical home hospital bed can be as low as 12-inch to as high as 19.5-inch.
Heavy patients can also use it as it is durable and robust enough to withstand a weight of up to 450 pounds. Note, however, that this includes the user's combined weight, the mattress, and other bed accessories.
One of its best features is that it is equipped with a 9-volt battery that is useful in a power interruption event. This battery can lower the head and foot section up to nine times.
Another notable feature is the hand pendant which has extensive and easy-to-use controls. The hand-crank is also located on top of the footboard for the caregiver's ease of use. Headboard and footboard are also interchangeable to suit the user's needs.
Drive Medical home hospital bed can be easily assembled and installed. Plus, the bed's frame construction has a zinc-coated spring deck that provides robust strength. This feature makes it the best durable home hospital bed in the market.
The side rails also come with a label and color-coded springs for additional patient safety.
End panels are washable and easy to clean and maintain.
It comes with a 5-year warranty on motor and hand control and a 1-year warranty on other parts. Simultaneously, the welds and the frame have a limited lifetime warranty, making it an excellent hospital bed choice. These features can make it easily the best full-electric home hospital bed.
The Medline Semi-electric bed is heavy-duty, easy-to-use, and packed with great usability features. It is the lightest semi-electric bed in the market, weighing 137 pounds only.
This Medline home hospital bed comes with a heavy-duty remote controller for easy adjustment of the upper body and knee sections. As it is semi-electric, the bed uses a traditional hand for bed height adjustment. This hand-crank can be helpful in the event of a power failure. This hospital home bed unit comes with a measurement of 36-inch in width and 80-inch in length. At the same time, the minimum bed height ranges from 15.5-inches to 22.5-inches.
The Medline home hospital bed is even equipped with motors that provide a smooth and reliable operation.
Side rail upgrades can be installed with ease and adjust from 48-inch to 72-inch in height.
The manufacturer offers a delivery option that comes with a complete installation service for an additional fee.
All these great features make it one of the best durable home hospital bed options you can get.
Invacare full-electric Low Bed
Invacare's 80-inch full-electric low bed is an ideal bed for patients prone to falling or rolling out of bed. It comes with a durable bed frame that is both impact and scratch-resistant. It is also easy to operate and comes with a waterproof and strain-relief pendant.
The Invacare home hospital bed VC5000 also comes complete with a durable foam mattress. This two-layered Solace Prevention Mattress is designed to prevent pressure ulcers with its zoned layer design.
Side rails can be easily removed through a quick-release button. It also comes with interchangeable bed ends.
The bed panels are easy to clean and are also impact and scratch-resistant.
One of the Invacare home hospital bed's good features is that it comes with an emergency manual crank in a power failure. The bed's motor has a waterproof enclosure that makes the equipment easy to clean.
The mattress and welds come with a limited 5-year warranty, while the bed rails come with a 2-year warranty period. Weight capacity is at the 300 pounds limit.
Overall, this bed can be a good choice and the best full-electric home hospital bed with all the impressive features it has.
Final Thoughts Getting your loved one a comfortable home hospital bed is one of the first steps of showing them your love and care. As your loved one may have different special needs, make sure that you will get them the best home hospital bed.
Find one that will maximize its purpose for the patient. Yet, make the bed look homely and welcoming to the user. You can either dress it up with some lovely bedding or put on some throw pillows.
Do not rush into the decision of buying immediately with careful research. With a detailed and thorough product review, we are sure that you will get a hospital bed that your loved one can use for many years.
We hope that you will find the perfect bed that will help you provide the best care for your loved one. How to shop for a home hospital bed has been a common dilemma for many, and we hope that this article has been of help.
|