How can I help my mom to push up in her hospital bed? She can move, a little, on her own. I need like a hard cushion. Any ideas?

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How can I help my mom to push up in her hospital bed? She can move, a little, on her own. I need like a hard cushion. Any ideas?

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She can move some on her own, so I need ideas about what I can put at the end of her hospital bed that she can use to push herself up. I am wondering if there is a foot rest or hard cushion I can put at the footboard to give her the support she needs. Any ideas, would be great.

Home Modification Hospital Medical Equipment and Supplies Mobility

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Ckloraw22, I think you're on the right track with the yoga blocks but I wonder if multiple blocks will be an issue? Have you checked out the yoga bolsters? Most will have a removable washable cover. You can get one that is 25" wide. At 25" wide there would be about 6.5" on each side of the bolster on a standard hospital bed mattress but that would probably be manageable for you, and most are 12" deep. Do you think a foot would get her up high enough in the bed?

Here's a link to what I'm talking about on Amazon (I don't have any affiliation with Amazon, I don't get any financial compensation from them) and I'm sure you could find them with other retailers as well:

https://www.amazon.com/Node-Fitness-Organic-Rectangular-Bolster/dp/B07JQDQNW1/ref=pd_lpo_2?pd_rd_w=FIFU9&content-id=amzn1.sym.116f529c-aa4d-4763-b2b6-4d614ec7dc00&pf_rd_p=116f529c-aa4d-4763-b2b6-4d614ec7dc00&pf_rd_r=GDFWJ2ZHMM6Z5BY16MSB&pd_rd_wg=e981S&pd_rd_r=001d5569-7e7b-403e-a42c-96aa375652e3&pd_rd_i=B07JQDQNW1&psc=1

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Thank you. I did get a few blocks, and they were small, so I was worried about putting many together. I did pass by the bolster but thought it might be too soft, but now I read up on it, and it seems like it might be a good idea. Thanks for the link, I will certainly check it out. It should be enough, the smaller ones I have now are almost enough.

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First off, thank you to all who gave advice and ideas. I will certainly check them out. Ok, kind of little more info on what is happening. My mother does have a hospital bed with the rails. The rails are only on the upper part that bends up and down, not on the whole bed. She is really short, so she isn't able to reach the footboard to push up to the correct position. She also doesn't have enough strength in her arms to pull herself up with just the rails. So right now the way she gets on the bed and sleeps is her pillow and head are at the bend of the bed. I want to help her be able to push up for safety and comfort. She now has this terrifying habit where she wants to hang half off the bed when she sleeps. I check on her multiple times a night, and it just nearly gives me a heart attack each time. I have to tell her, "momma you need to scoot back on the bed, you can't sleep this way, you will fall". She can be a bit stubborn. It doesn't help that right now she is dealing with shingles, as well, so she is in pain a lot and can't find any comfortable position, but if I can help it to where she can sleep properly on the bed, I feel like it will help her a lot. She is on the hefty side, so it is tough for me to try to move or pull her. I did order some yoga blocks to try at the foot of the bed as well, see how that goes.

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https://src.healthpei.ca/sites/src.healthpei.ca/files/healthAndWellness/src_ews_ptslidi.pdf

This link has a good photo of how to position the hips in the hospital bed to keep from sliding down.

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Thank you so much. It certainly helped. She is just so short and doesn't have enough strength to pull herself up with the bars that her head and pillow is at about the bend mark of the bed. It worries me because it can be uncomfortable, and also she is in the habit now of trying to sleep half off the bed and falls. When that happens, we always have to call an ambulance to help get her up, she is on the larger side. We hate that because, in our area, they just aren't that considerate about her situation.

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1. Place 2 slide sheets (or 1 folded) under Mom from hips to head.
2. Have bed flat, then tilt head end down. Gravity is your friend!
3. Mom bends her knees & pushes feet down onto bed. (You can hold her feet down gently if needed).
She should slip right up! 😃

I'll see if I can find a video link - but if this doesn't work, just google slides sheet transfers & see what you find. This simple & cheap piece of equipment can be used in so many ways.

https://youtu.be/pbmC27Z3kuc

PS if room for you behind the bedhead end of bed, you pulling the top layer of slide sheet as Mom pushes will work even better

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Thank you. I will certainly look at the video and give it a try. It is difficult to try new, and to her scary things, to help her. She is just so scared of falling and injuring herself, which I understand, but it sometimes causes her to over-react, and it causes her to end up falling or rolling off.

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Find a cardboard box of the right size, pack it with something cheap and solid, and if it works, cover it with something pretty.

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Thanks, that is a great idea! I don't know why I didn't think of that.

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Perhaps a bed ladder could help? Look it up on Amazon to see examples.

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I thought about that, but if it isn't positioned from the top of the bed, I am not sure how it would help. She doesn't have the strength enough to use it alone to pull herself up. I could try that along with something at her feet to push off of, they would give her some more help. Thank you for the idea.

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How can I help my mom to push up in her hospital bed? She can move, a little, on her own. I need like a hard cushion. Any ideas?

6 Answers

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