Because we spend at least a third of our lives in bed it is very important we make ourselves as comfortable as possible in bed. For those who have restricted mobility or are completely immobilised, the percentage of time spent in bed will be much higher making it imperative that ease of movement, comfort, and safety are considered when selecting a bed. The proper choice will ensure comfort and ease of movement in or out of bed.

Our well being relies on us getting adequate rest and good sleeping patterns and bodily comfort are essential to this. For mobility restricted people this state of well being will determine their level of self reliance as well as their ability to act and order their lives with some measure of independence. Special feature beds for people with health and mobility problems are called adjustable beds as you have most probably gathered by now. They are also known as variable posture beds and (more loosely) as hospital beds, with two or more sections under the mattress that can hinge to form various profiles.

Bed Movement

The action of raising and lowering the base sections is known as profiling. They can be electrically or manually operated, or a mixture of both. All our " target="_self" adjustable beds are completely electrically operated profiling beds. They are generally in single bed size but can often be fixed together to form a double or dual action beds, each (if necessary) having different functions. In such a configuration, it is important that, if a carer is involved, there is adequate room for them to manoeuvre themselves or equipment (e.g. hoist).

Motors

Electric adjustable beds have a hand held controller and, although driven by several motors, are usually very quiet to silent in operation. They can be operated solely by the carer where this is necessary for the person's safety, or where user independence is important, by the person in bed. The hand held control unit is light and as easy to use as pushing a button.

Mattresses

Adjustable bed mattresses are usually foam or latex. Specially manufactured luxury pocket sprung wire mattresses are also available. Memory foam, sometimes called "visco elastic" or "slow release foam" was originally developed by scientists in association with the N.A.S.A space project. Scientists were asked to invent a material that would absorb the tremendous pressures that astronaut's bodies were subjected to as they exited and re-entered the Earth's atmosphere. The new foam-like material proved to be so successful that its potential was soon recognised by medical science. It is now the most effective substance for relieving pressure points caused by the weight of a human body in its relaxed state. Subsequently it is now used in hospitals throughout the world to prevent pressure sores, which can easily develop when the body lies still for many hours i.e. during an operation. Its unique elastic properties allow it to automatically sense your body weight and temperature, it then responds by moulding to your exact shape and position. When you turn in bed it quickly recovers and re-adjusts, providing you with total support throughout the night.

Positioning & Movement

When the backrest is semi-reclined, pulling on a lifting pole (gooseneck, monkey pole) the user may be enabled to roll onto one side or the other independently to relieve buttock pressure. The lifting pole will also allow the user to take up some of their weight and assist them to manoeuvre to the bed edge making it easier to stand. Where continuous long term bed occupancy is necessary the prevention and treatment of bedsores (pressure ulcers) is critical. To this end a pressure/memory foam mattress is advised. The user can be repositioned by changing the bed profile which can affect weight distribution, thereby helping prevent the forming of pressure sores .

The bed position in the room is important to consider as there should be no wall mounted obstruction preventing vertical movement of the bed or allowing anything be trapped underneath the bed when lowered as few adjustable height beds have an automatic stop facility.

Modern adjustable beds are nicely finished, many with wood grain or damask paneling in head and foot boards, and imminently suited to both home care and nursing home use. Some models can be broken down into separate parts for ease of storage and transport.

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