She lives independently and wants to continue to do so but has fallen out of bed a couple times. She would need something that she could engage once she gets into bed at night. Thanks in advance.
Nursing homes do not use bedrails any more because they make falls worse. I suggest you make sure she has a really low bed and place thick mats on sides of bed. If she falls on the mats, she is less likely to hurt herself. Also re-think bedside tables. When people fall out of bed, they are likely to hurt themselves on the bedside table.
Get an in-home evaluation by an occupational therapist who will assess her for fall and safety risks everywhere in her home. Also, Mom will need to be taught how to get in and out of bed safely. Bedrails that she controls won't prevent her falling. You need to address the cause. She may need a new bed that allows her to sit on the edge with her feet securely on the floor. If she has neuropathy, and can't feel when her feet are on the floor, Mom may need to reconsider and move into a senior "independent" apartment, with someone on call in the building or even a scheduled time for her to be safely escorted up and out of bed. This also means addressing her ability to get up at night to relieve herself. She may need to learn not to do this, or to use a bedside commode with someone to help clean up in the morning.
We bought one for my dad from Amazon that was easy to use and a big help. It was secured between between the mattress and boxspring and also had an optional strap for extra securing. It’s about 3 feet long I’m guessing, not so long to prevent getting around it to get up and has a strong metal bar at the top for grabbing
We bought two of these for each side of my mom’s bed and they work great and are easy to install. They attach to bed frame too and are quite secure. My husband put them together. We do periodic checks on them to make sure where you screw them together stays tight. My mom has mobility issues due to lymphedema in her right leg and these bed rails help her to get in and out of bed on her own. Highly recommend.
Sold on Amazon here’s the listing- FromVisit the Essential Medical Supply Essential Medical Supply Height Adjustable Hand Bed Rail with Floor Supports
Hi. This is not for a bedrail but may be something you can use. One morning after checking on mom I was concerned when i found her laying on her side with one leg hanging off the end of the bed. She usually doesn't move a lot but one wrong move and she would have ended up in the floor. She has a queen size bed but only uses the one side. I dont know why. I started using her extra foo foo bed pillows to wedge her in so she cant roll off. She can move but the pillows are like a wall to keep her in. Her bed pad is large and the pillows go under that a little just like a little wall. She can still turn in move just would have to move the pilllows to get to the edge of the bed. Hope I described it okay and maybe that could work? Good luck.
Your mother might just use one side of the bed because she is used to that side or because physically it's enough to get into the bed at all and scooching over to the middle is awkward or painful. I speak as someone who uses one side of my own bed b/c arthritis makes it hard to scooch over
I ordered this for my mom and she loved it - it slides under the mattress LumaRail-FS Triple Safe Bed Assist Rail Support Bar Handle with LED Sensor Nightlight, GlowSafe Indicators and Anchor Strap. Adjustable Height TOP Rail Accommodates Thick MATTRESSES and Toppers. It can be situated to be in an area of the bed to keep her from falling out.
Also, she had a Verlo mattress and they were able to make a customized box spring to be lower to the floor (shorter height). Just some suggestions.
I agree that someone trained (an occupational therapist) should evaluate your mother. That being said, Amazon has many different kinds of bedrails. Look up "bedside rails for Seniors." The one I definitely prefer is more vertical than horizontal, with a metal part that goes under the mattress and a strap that anchors it to the leg of the bed on the opposite side so that it won't dislodge. We used this rail on both a stationary bed frame and an adjustable one. Another suggestion: put a small area rug next to the bed. It should have rubber on the bottom to grip the floor and significant texture on the top. This will help your mother's feet stay in place when she tries to sit up. A bedside commode with rails is essential too. Place it extremely close to the bed so she can hold the bedside rail with one hand and the commode rail with the other while turning to sit. Don't forget the commode liners—trust me when I say that they will change your life, and your mother's too! After use, all you have to do is tie them up and throw them away in the trash. Last, please consider investing in one of those alert necklaces that she can use to summon help if she does fall. Once someone falls, it is very likely that they will continue to fall. It would be terrible for her to lay there without being able to let anyone know, especially if she has injured herself.
My Mom has had a medical alert system (with wrist band and pendant) for several years. While it was a good idea in the beginning, in her current stage of dementia, Mom can't remember what the buttons are for and would not know to push them if she needed to. I am going to cancel her subscription to this expensive service as I can't see how it benefits her at this point.
My Mom had one that also fit between mattresses and secured with a strap. But the width of the bar is about 18 in. It was actually bought to help my Mom pull herself up in bed. It also gave her something to hold onto when getting up. The bonus was that it kept her from rolling out of bed.
My dad had one that was probably two feet long and had pockets on the inside of it to hold reading material and his tv remote, eyeglasses etc. it helped him get in and out of bed too. When he rolled out of bed on the other side we got one for that side too. It was different without pockets. I just used amazon and read reviews etc.
My dad had one that was probably two feet long and had pockets on the inside of it to hold reading material and his tv remote, eyeglasses etc. it helped him get in and out of bed too. When he rolled out of bed on the other side we got one for that side too. It was different without pockets. I just used amazon and read reviews etc.
Sold on Amazon here’s the listing- FromVisit the Essential Medical Supply Essential Medical Supply Height Adjustable Hand Bed Rail with Floor Supports
Good luck.
Also, she had a Verlo mattress and they were able to make a customized box spring to be lower to the floor (shorter height). Just some suggestions.
Another suggestion: put a small area rug next to the bed. It should have rubber on the bottom to grip the floor and significant texture on the top. This will help your mother's feet stay in place when she tries to sit up.
A bedside commode with rails is essential too. Place it extremely close to the bed so she can hold the bedside rail with one hand and the commode rail with the other while turning to sit. Don't forget the commode liners—trust me when I say that they will change your life, and your mother's too! After use, all you have to do is tie them up and throw them away in the trash.
Last, please consider investing in one of those alert necklaces that she can use to summon help if she does fall. Once someone falls, it is very likely that they will continue to fall. It would be terrible for her to lay there without being able to let anyone know, especially if she has injured herself.
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