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How to Stop Someone Falling Out of Bed.
If you care for an elderly person, it’s good to know how to stop them from falling out of bed. Shockingly, thousands of elderly people fall out of bed each year, resulting in hospital admission.
For younger people, it probably sounds impossible to fall out of bed asleep. Admittedly, if you are in a single bed measuring 2ft 6 and roll over too far, you might topple, but most elderly people fall for other reasons.
Why do people fall out of bed?
Dementia is a primary cause. In the dark, dementia can cause people to forget where they are. People often get up during the night to use the toilet and may slip on a bedside rug or trip over something. Falling out of bed is surprisingly common and can result in serious injuries. In many care homes where residents are at high risk of falling from their beds, crash mats are placed beside them. This avoids using bed rails. Bed rails are a contentious issue as they can be seen as a (DOL) deprivation of liberty in a residential setting.
People with Parkinson’s Disease may also be at increased risk of falling out of bed due to the medication they take.
How to stop someone from falling out of bed.
There is only one real solution to this problem. Bed rails or guards. Sadly these look unattractive and some people feel they are trapped by them.
High Low Beds
New to the domestic market are high/low beds. Whilst these won’t stop someone falling out of bed, the impact will be lessened as the drop will be inches, not feet. These beds are superb but come with a price tag— They are out of many people’s budget, so we need alternative solutions.
Some people position a commode or wheelchair to the side of the bed to create a movable barrier/guard. However, not everyone at risk of falling out of bed may need these.
I think this bed guard is a good solution. It’s affordably priced and provides extendable safety. The guard rail also acts as an aid to get up safely and offers storage space for items such as glasses and remote controls.
The dark colour makes it highly visible, which is important for someone with low vision. This guard also extends further if needed. By far the best feature is that it folds down. This is so helpful for carers and makes it easier to change bedding. It comes highly recommended and costs £140.00.
