How to Stop Someone Falling Out of Bed.
If you care for elderly people it’s important to know how to stop someone falling out of bed. It’s shocking that thousands of elderly people fall out of bed each year resulting in hospital admission.
To younger people, it probably sounds impossible to fall out of bed when you’re 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 in 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 risk of falling from their beds crash mats are placed beside them. This avoids the use of bed rails, often 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 falling out of bed.
There is only one real solution to this problem. Bed rails or guards. Not only do these often look unsightly, but some people feel they are trapped by them.
High Low Beds
Fairly new to the domestic market are the 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 amazing but so is the price, amazingly expensive! They are out of many people’s budget, so we need alternative solutions.
Some people will position a commode or wheelchair to the side of the bed to create a moveable barrier/guard. However, not everyone who is at risk of falling out of bed may need these.
I think this bed guard is a good solution. It’s not badly priced and provides extendable safety. The guard rail also acts as an aid to get up safely and I do like the fact it 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.
