I'm surprised a SNF doesn't have better beds. Just the step above the bottom of the barrel ones that medicare will pay for can lower to about 7" off the floor. Those are the ones that were in the SNF grandma was in.
When it comes time to get a bed for mine, that's what I'm buying. I even think about replacing grandmas but she hasn't been much of a problem with that. She just sits up and then screams for someone to help her stand because she can't. She can't stand even if someone helps her.
Thank you for the quick responses to my question. I have a meeting scheduled with the staff next week. Will express some of the concerns and thoughts mentioned here. Thank you again!
Two main reasons bed rails are no longer allowed is that the patient can get their legs tangled up in the rails and the fall over tangling from the bed.... or sadly some people can get their head wedged in the bed rails and die from strangulation :(
My Mom was routinely falling out of bed, thus bed mats were tried, but weren't that much help. Eventually the Staff had to stuff pillows around Mom when she was in bed.... that helped.... but it was painful for my Mom's back because she couldn't turn herself over or on her side due to the pillows [and those narrow beds].
It is certainly a good interim solution but a better one would be the kind of bed rocketjcat mentions that can be lowered to within a few inches of the floor - a mattress on the floor will make getting in just as difficult as getting out, it makes any care pretty much impossible, and I'd be concerned at how they are going about getting them up from that low position.
So your Mom has a typical mattress, frame and box spring, not a hospital bed? If so removing the frame and putting the mattress and box spring on the floor is a pretty good idea. That’s what I did when Mom was still in Independent Living. At her NH they lowered her motorized bed as close to the floor as it would go. The top of her mattress probably was less than 24” from the floor. They also placed rubber fall mats on each side of the bed when she was in it. Protocol dictated the aids roll them up and stow them away when she was out of bed, so they didn’t become tripping hazards. She still rolled out, but didn’t get hurt after that.
There are things called fall mats that are placed beside the bed. However, those seem terrible to me because they need to be moved out of the way when someone is out of the bed and someone has to remember to put it back in place when the person goes to bed. Plus, the person can still fall and I don't think those seem to be anything I would want to fall out of bed on. With the mattress on the floor, I would think it would be harder for an elderly person to get up if they needed to, but maybe they don't want this person to get up without help so that would solve that problem.
In reality, a bed rail makes a billion times more sense, but who says anyone uses any sense anymore, considering those are no longer allowed. It all makes me hope I drop dead suddenly one day. It's no lie that getting old isn't for sissies. I feel like a sissy right now.
When it comes time to get a bed for mine, that's what I'm buying. I even think about replacing grandmas but she hasn't been much of a problem with that. She just sits up and then screams for someone to help her stand because she can't. She can't stand even if someone helps her.
My Mom was routinely falling out of bed, thus bed mats were tried, but weren't that much help. Eventually the Staff had to stuff pillows around Mom when she was in bed.... that helped.... but it was painful for my Mom's back because she couldn't turn herself over or on her side due to the pillows [and those narrow beds].
In reality, a bed rail makes a billion times more sense, but who says anyone uses any sense anymore, considering those are no longer allowed. It all makes me hope I drop dead suddenly one day. It's no lie that getting old isn't for sissies. I feel like a sissy right now.
By law they can't use rails to stop her from getting out of bed. They can't do anything that is considered restraints.
So putting the mattress on the floor is the best solution.