A medical bed normally looks like a twin bed made of heavy metal parts and will be available in any medical supply store. While you can purchase one easily, if you don’t have a long-term requirement, you can just rent one too. These beds come with moveable side rails and may require hand cranks or electricity to be moved from one place to other. Consult your healthcare provider about the kind of bed you need to buy.
When purchasing a medical bed, it’s pertinent that you determine what features you need it to come with, to ensure your or your loved one’s comfort and wellbeing. Here are some of the things you must know while purchasing one.
What types of medical beds are available?
There are two main types of beds available in the market, one is manual hospital beds, and the other one is electric hospital beds.
You need to move or adjust manual medical beds by hand cranks. You will need someone’s help to move, and it may prove to be quite difficult. The cranks are usually found at the foot or head of the bed. It may not reach as many places as electric beds.
Electric medical beds have pushing buttons to be adjusted or moved. They are easier to handle. This bed is more likely to be used as the positions of the bed can be easily changed. Often these beds have a built-in scale.
What type of mattress should be used?
Foam, air, and gel are kinds of mattresses available for use in medical beds. Some mattresses can reduce the pressure in certain areas of your body preventing pressure sores. As with the bed frames, you can either buy or rent a mattress from the same store. It usually comes with a waterproof cover.
How can your bed be safely used?
Lock the wheels of the bed at all times. Keep a bell, telephone, and control pad within reach of the patient, in-case of an emergency.