Follow
Share

She uses a walker, sits on the side and cannot get them up. She has a bed bar which prevents her from falling out in the process, but that doesn't help her actually get her legs up. Sometimes she can get one leg up enough to use a heel to push her self further onto the bed. Sometimes she can lie on her side and bring them up to a fetal position with the help of the bar to steady herself. Would some kind of sling help? An adjustable bed?

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Find Care & Housing
How much does gram weigh? Can't you just lift up her one leg and put it on the bed? That's how mom gets in. Once she gets that one leg up, she can struggle with the other. I just let her struggle, since if I do it for her, she'll NEVER get stronger. She's improved, but has a ways to go.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

She probably weighs 110 lbs (.24 g?) and we do not live with her. We are trying to help her do this completely independently. She fell last weekend trying, and broke a rib on her night table.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

Adjustable beds are very good, because you can lower the height a LOT. Then she can push a button to raise the bed, or the head or the feet. Ask her MD to order a hospital style bed. We bought a new one on line for $800 and assembled it for her. Mom loved the features.
Helpful Answer (3)
Report

Out of curiously I actually went to my bed to see what would I do if that was my issue. I noticed that the bed has an inch wide smooth metal [or wooden] frame all about the bottom perimeter that I could comfortably put my feet on, and with my arms on the bed, lift and scoot back.

Now I checked my guest room bed, no luck, it has a very thin metal frame that would hurt one's feet.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

How about a bed safety rail on the opposite side of the side that she could pull herself over with? Provided she doesn't sleep in an extra wide bed. Sounds like someone needs to help Grandma get tucked in at night for safety.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

Are there relatives living nearby? Does Gram go to bed at the same time every night? If someone (preferably someones taking turns) could go in and help her to bed each night that might be a good way to help her stay independent and also to keep an eye on her. (I always helped both my mother and my husband with this task of getting the legs in bed.)

My husband and my mother both loved a hospital bed and there are good advantages to the adjustability. I'm not sure how the height of the bed impacts the strength of the legs, though. Maybe it is less effort to bring the legs up a short distance than to a higher bed. If you explore that route, be sure the height of the bed is controlled by the patient. On my husband's bed that was on the foot of the bed and not on his remote device.

If you come up with a good solution, post it. We learn from each other.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Ask a Question
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter