BED EQUIPMENT

1. Bed Positioners for Perfect Support

Bed positioners are useful tools for bedrooms at home as well as in assisted care facilities, hospitals, and senior living areas, as they ensure that one can sleep in the best position suited to their health needs. They are available as wedges in various shapes and sizes that can be placed beneath or between the legs and knees and even under the head. They allow you to sleep comfortably, without disturbance.

Research evaluating a large population of sleepers revealed that 54.1% of their total time in bed was spent sleeping on their side, 37.5% sleeping on their back, and 7.3% sleeping on their stomach, showing that people tend to change their sleeping positions frequently during the night. Switching up positions may cause disturbed sleeping patterns, especially in the following conditions.

• Pain or discomfort due to an injury: That is why sleep positioners for back ailments, injuries, and fractures are ideal for recovering patients. Injured sleep positioners help patients to stabilize their positions in bed for uninterrupted sleep, as well as keeping limbs elevated in comfortable positions. Research has shown that sleep is essential for recovery after injury or stress, which is why both the quantity and quality of sleep are equally important.
• Pregnancy: Around 50% of pregnant women experience insomnia-like symptoms. Getting a comfortable sleeping position while navigating a growing belly is challenging, and maternity sleep positioners help to ease that pain. Pregnancy sleep positioners can be placed between the knees to sleep ease symptoms of acidity or regurgitation, ease back pain, open up the airway and improve blood circulation by sleeping comfortably on either the right or left side.
• Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and snoring: As many as 15-30% of men and 10-30% of women suffer from OSA, while 57% of men and 40% of women snore. This is disturbing for both the patient and their family members. Snoring Sleep Positioners can alleviate loud sleep by providing just the right head and neck support. Studies have shown that mild degrees of head-of-elevation (HOBE) improves the severity of OSA without interfering in sleep architecture.

2. Fall Prevention Equipment for Safety

Senior citizens or patients with disabilities face the dangers of falling out of their beds while they are sleeping or changing positions. Falls are the most common cause of non-fatal injuries in people above 65 years, attributing to 15% of rehospitalizations. There is a range of bed equipment that can be used to prevent falls in elderly or disabled patients, which include:

• Bed Rails: In addition to sleep positioners, mobility bed rails can help with patient transfer in and out of bed, as well as provide barriers to prevent them from rolling off the bed. Studies have shown that bed rails also help people to turn and reposition themselves comfortably on the bed, reduces the risk of falls while transporting the patients, and also provides comfort and security for the patient and their caregivers.
• Overbed Tables: Providing overbed tables allows them to eat and perform other activities of daily living without getting out from their beds, limiting movement and also further reducing the risk of falls. These height-adjustable, durable, and mobile tables provide the perfect solution.
• Hospital Beds: Hospital beds allow the person offering care to raise or lower the bed to a height that is suitable for them to administer care.  They can be used to transfer a patient to a chair, wheelchair, or seated position.  They also have large wheels that make them movable come with built-in side rails.
• Patient Lifts: A patient lift is a device that helps caregivers lift and transfer patients that have limited mobility from a bed to a chair.

3. Pressure Relievers for Better care

Elderly and disabled patients or those who are bedridden with limited mobility are at risk of developing pressure ulcers. This is due to the unrelenting pressure applied to parts of the skin that are in constant contact with a hard surface like a bed or a chair. Pressure ulcers or bedsores are extremely painful and may become infected, requiring trips to the emergency room or hospital admissions in severe cases. Statistics show that bedsores affect more than 3 million adults nationwide and are a growing health and safety concern in hospitals and care facilities. They are chronic conditions that require constant supervision and care, which is why prevention is definitely better than cure.

Nurses, aides, and caregivers usually ensure that bedridden patients, especially elderly or obese individuals, are turned periodically to change their sleeping or resting positions. This can be made easier with the help of bed positioners that keep patients both comfortable and safe.

Pressure relief equipment either provides a protective surface or allows the patient to move away from stagnant positions to alleviate the force on the skin. Air pressure prevention mattresses, bed pads, and mattress overlays provide soft surfaces that reduce the damage done to dependent body parts, like the back of the heels and head, elbows, or back of the hips. Studies show that support surfaces like mattress overlays and cushions are able to distribute the surface pressure more evenly to protect the vulnerable surfaces of the body. Foam, fluid, bead, or air-filled mattresses also provide a softer, more pliable surface and are effective in reducing bed sores.

As F. Scott Fitzgerald often said, “The worst thing in the world is to try to sleep and not to.” We have seen that the right bed equipment and bed positioning devices certainly go a long way in providing comfort for those who struggle with insomnia, disturbed sleeping patterns, and those recovering from injuries or fractures.

At Arvada Pharmacy, we have a wide range of bed equipment that can help bring your dream of a good night’s sleep into reality! Contact us to know more.