I understand your frustration. My mom had Parkinson’s disease. There was no possible way that she could have gotten out of bed without having something for her to grab onto to get out of bed.
When mom’s doctor prescribed home health for her, I described how difficult it was for her to get out of bed on her own.
The occupational therapist told me which bed rail to order for her. She also recommended rearranging mom’s furniture in her room which helped greatly.
When my mother did rehab in a facility they wouldn’t allow a bed rail. My mother hated relying upon the aides to assist with getting her out of bed instead of doing it on her own. I felt bad for mom but we both understood that we had to comply with the rules.
When my mother entered her end of life hospice care home we were very selective about which hospice provider that we used. Her care home only served three patients at the time which provided a loophole for not having to comply with state regulations.
The end of life care home beds had bed rails placed on their beds. Mom was able to reposition herself in the bed without having to call upon the aide constantly.
We have strict state regulations but I saw first hand that they aren’t always followed. One time I went to see my brother in his end of life hospice facility, a different place than mom was in and they had him strapped down because they were shorthanded that day.
When my brother saw me he asked me to undo the strap because he was uncomfortable. I went to ask the nurse if I could undo it and she came into his room and explained why he had been strapped down.
I have also seen residents in nursing homes strapped in their wheelchairs so they wouldn’t fall over on the floor. When facilities have a shortage of staff it becomes a difficult situation for them and rules are sometimes broken.
It’s virtually impossible to stop these elderly from falling anymore . Seatbelts not allowed in wheelchairs but I have to wear one in the car . SMH. If I’m confused and wheelchair bound , I want a seatbelt, and a lap buddy . Better than a broken hip . It’s one of the reasons I left facility work . I got tired of filling out incident reports.
My Mom’s AL allowed one small bed assist bar that Mom could pull on to be able to sit up from a lying position , then she could swing her legs over and get out of bed . AL ordered the type that was allowed and they installed it to the bed. Ask the facility if this is permitted . I don’t live in Colorado .
If she needs something to hold onto to help her move in bed, you can find small rails that don’t act as restraints, but of course check with the facility first.
If you are referring to a partial bed rail, it's considered unsafe or a "restraint". It's the law in many (if not most or all) states. Ask the admins what, if anything, is allowable before purchasing anything else.
Are you saying you provided a bed personally for your Mom and the facility removed it?
I don't know what a "partial bed" is...
From your profile:
"I am caring for my mother Trisha , who is 71 years old, living in assisted living with alzheimer's / dementia, anxiety, arthritis, depression, stroke, urinary tract infection, and vision problems."
To confirm, she is still in AL? Did she just move there?
Are you her PoA or legal guardian? If not, who is?
When mom’s doctor prescribed home health for her, I described how difficult it was for her to get out of bed on her own.
The occupational therapist told me which bed rail to order for her. She also recommended rearranging mom’s furniture in her room which helped greatly.
When my mother did rehab in a facility they wouldn’t allow a bed rail. My mother hated relying upon the aides to assist with getting her out of bed instead of doing it on her own. I felt bad for mom but we both understood that we had to comply with the rules.
When my mother entered her end of life hospice care home we were very selective about which hospice provider that we used. Her care home only served three patients at the time which provided a loophole for not having to comply with state regulations.
The end of life care home beds had bed rails placed on their beds. Mom was able to reposition herself in the bed without having to call upon the aide constantly.
We have strict state regulations but I saw first hand that they aren’t always followed. One time I went to see my brother in his end of life hospice facility, a different place than mom was in and they had him strapped down because they were shorthanded that day.
When my brother saw me he asked me to undo the strap because he was uncomfortable. I went to ask the nurse if I could undo it and she came into his room and explained why he had been strapped down.
I have also seen residents in nursing homes strapped in their wheelchairs so they wouldn’t fall over on the floor. When facilities have a shortage of staff it becomes a difficult situation for them and rules are sometimes broken.
AL ordered the type that was allowed and they installed it to the bed. Ask the facility if this is permitted . I don’t live in Colorado .
I don't know what a "partial bed" is...
From your profile:
"I am caring for my mother Trisha , who is 71 years old, living in assisted living with alzheimer's / dementia, anxiety, arthritis, depression, stroke, urinary tract infection, and vision problems."
To confirm, she is still in AL? Did she just move there?
Are you her PoA or legal guardian? If not, who is?