Bed gates like in hospital

nae sporran

Registered User
Oct 29, 2014
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Bristol
Does anybody know anything about those little fold down gates ( for want of a better word) they have in hospitals to stop the patients falling out. OH had a wee slide off this morning for the second time in about 4 months. She has one of those levers for getting her out of bed, but I am considering if she needs something to stop her sliding out.

Any advice on where to get them, or if we should speak to either Social Services or her GP, would be welcome.

Thanks
 

Izzy

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Aug 31, 2003
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Dundee
Do you have contact with an occupation therapist? If not I would ask your GP for referral. I think they're the best service to advise. I ended up getting hospital bed for my husband through the OT service. We don't have bed rails though. We do have a little frame that slips in under the mattress and a rail sits up at the side of the bed. Not a good description. Sorry! It's for Bill to hold on to so that he can pull himself up. It also kind of acts as a barrier to falls.

It's the same idea as this but looks a little different. We got it from the OT and you get them for ordinary beds as well as hospital beds.

https://www.activemobility.co.uk/gr...-p-1960.html?gclid=COHx0tLuzsoCFVTNGwodgBAPJg
 

nae sporran

Registered User
Oct 29, 2014
9,213
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Bristol
Do you have contact with an occupation therapist? If not I would ask your GP for referral. I think they're the best service to advise. I ended up getting hospital bed for my husband through the OT service. We don't have bed rails though. We do have a little frame that slips in under the mattress and a rail sits up at the side of the bed. Not a good description. Sorry! It's for Bill to hold on to so that he can pull himself up. It also kind of acts as a barrier to falls.

That was the one she already has fitted Izzy, which was by OT from the council about 5 years ago. Not seen an OT since then, so you might be right about the GP referral.
Thanks for that.
 

Izzy

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Aug 31, 2003
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Dundee
That was the one she already has fitted Izzy, which was by OT from the council about 5 years ago. Not seen an OT since then, so you might be right about the GP referral.
Thanks for that.

Yes every time I need to talk to an OT I seem to need to do a new referral! If you already have a contact though it might be quicker going straight to the service rather than through the GP. Thars what I do now. I still have to wait for the referral letter but it's a bit quicker.
 

Selinacroft

Registered User
Oct 10, 2015
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Hi Yes- I definitely recommend going back to OT. They may be able to provide a hospital bed- stress the risk of falling out again, or if anything can be fitted to your existing bed if you don't need the profiling part.
 

nae sporran

Registered User
Oct 29, 2014
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Bristol
Hi Yes- I definitely recommend going back to OT. They may be able to provide a hospital bed- stress the risk of falling out again, or if anything can be fitted to your existing bed if you don't need the profiling part.

I have spoken to the doctor, he says Care Homes don't use rails, but use padded mattresses on the floor. I have also emailed Care Direct at the council to see what they say for a second opinion.
Anybody used anything like that?
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
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Bury
If the person has sufficient mobility to attempt to climb over any rail it can be safer without the rail.

The care home my wife was in used bed rails if the person was immobile, otherwise they lowered the bed as far as it would go and put a bump mattress with sensor alongside. When using the mattress the other side of the bed was pushed against the wall.
 

ITBookworm

Registered User
Oct 26, 2011
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Glasgow
The reason that care homes (with respect to dementia patients in particular) don't use rails is that a PWD in a bed with rails could try to climb over the rails and then fall - from a higher height that if they had just fallen out of bed!

Care home beds can normally be raised and lowered. What they would do would be to place the bed against a wall on one side (PWD can't get or fall out that side), lower the bed as close to the floor as possible and then put a mattress on the floor. If the PWD does fall out of bed they are falling as small a distance as possible and onto a padded surface.

With my FIL, what they also did was put a pressure sensor mat under him on his bed. If he then moved off the mat it would trigger an alarm and they knew he was moving about significantly in bed and might be trying to get up. With that precaution I think they usually managed to 'catch' him before he was actually out of bed. He didn't get any more bruises from falling anyway :)

And nitram can type faster than me :)
 

bemused1

Registered User
Mar 4, 2012
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DNS here were very reluctant to give us rails for the hospital bed because of the dangers of climbing out and having more serious accidents. Until I pointed out that he couldn't even turn over. Anyway, they mentioned the alternative of having a very low bed with pads around the bed for wanderers who are in danger of falls.
We did get the bed rails but it was kind of ' on your own head be it'

And everybody types faster than me!
 
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nae sporran

Registered User
Oct 29, 2014
9,213
0
Bristol
DNS here were very reluctant to give us rails for the hospital bed because of the dangers of climbing out and having more serious accidents. Until I pointed out that he couldn't even turn over. Anyway, they mentioned the alternative of having a very low bed with pads around the bed for wanderers who are in danger of falls.
We did get the bed rails but it was kind of ' on your own head be it'

And everybody types faster than me!

Thanks everybody. I will see what the OTs say, if Care Direct get back, but will look at sensors and cushions or pads.