Hospital beds are the unsung heroes of healthcare facilities and hospitals that aid in patient comfort, safety and care. Hospital beds differ from regular beds with features like adjustable height, electronic buttons, and adjustable side rails. Modern patient beds with advanced features can significantly impact patient outcomes by providing patient well-being, comfort, and convenience.
If you want to create comfortable hospital bed spaces, knowing the types and art of choosing the perfect one for your hospital is quintessential. Let us delve deeper into medical bed significance and different types with valuable tips for selecting the best patient bed for your specific needs.
Why Are Hospital Beds Necessary to Blend Patient Care and Comfort?
Uncomfortable patient beds can interfere with patient recovery. Functional yet convenient hospital beds are a must to blend patient care and comfort. Some benefits of ultra-comfortable patient beds include:
Enhanced Patient Comfort and Recovery
Patient beds lead to enhanced patient care, allowing patients to find the most suitable healing position. Medical beds prioritise patient health with flexibility irrespective of whether the patients want to eat, raise their headrests or elevate the legs for improved circulation.
Improved Patient Mobility and Safety
Medical beds come with safety features like side rails and adjustable bed heights so patients don't fall off. Also, it ensures that patients can get in and out of bed safely with a grip. Especially for patients with limited mobility, hospital beds make it easier for them to change positions or transfer to a wheelchair whenever necessary.
Enhanced Medical Care and Procedures
Hospital beds are indispensable for medical staff and doctors as they ease medical procedures and examinations and help in patient wound care. It helps in the best possible position for treatment with the ability to raise or lower the bed when needed.
Prevention of Pressure Ulcers
A Hospital bed mattress has pressure redistribution surfaces. These hospital bed mattress helps to prevent pressure ulcers for patients who are bedridden for extended periods.
Easier Caregiver Assistance
Nurses and caregivers can attend to the patients in medical beds more efficiently. Also, caregivers can have less back strain or injury.
Striking Features of Patient Beds
- Bed Mobility: The wheels enable effortless bed movement within and outside the hospital room. The wheels with safety locks secure the patient's bed during transfers.
- Height Adjustability: The bed offers various elevation options, unlike regular beds, through electronic controls aligning to the patient's height/position/headrest.
- Adjustable Side Rails: The adjustable side railings of the bed provide protection and support to patients with easy-to-use buttons for operation.
- Bed Alarm System: Hospital beds come with an integrated alarm system within the mattress to make caregivers attend to emergencies promptly.
- CPR Capability: Specialised ICU beds have a CPR function to assist in life-saving procedures for patients in critical condition, heart failure and other serious problems.
Types Of Hospital Beds
Some prominent types of hospital beds that enhance patient care are as follows:
Manual Hospital Beds
Manual hospital beds are affordable beds but need hand crank operation. They have adjustable head and foot sections with basic positioning options for patients. They are suitable for patients who require minimal position changes with manual adjustments.
Semi-Electric Hospital Beds
Semi-electric hospital beds is a middle ground between manual and fully electric option that combine manual adjustments for the head and foot sections with an electrically operated height adjustment.
Full-Electric Hospital Beds
Electric beds are fully motorised, offering adjustable positions for the upper and lower body with height adjustments. They are most versatile and ideal for patients who require frequent repositioning, have limited mobility, or have medical conditions that make sleeping in uncomfortable positions difficult. Electric beds provide patient relief for chronic pain, arthritis, respiratory issues, swelling, limited mobility, heartburn, and acid reflux. Key features of electric beds include electrically operated collapsible guard rails, multiple resting position options, detachable head and footboards, and swivel castors enabling swift movement. These beds use advanced tech and prioritise patient safety and comfort.
Bariatric Hospital Beds
Bariatric hospital beds support larger patients with weight on the heavy side, requiring higher-weight beds for added comfort and safety.
Low Hospital Beds
Low hospital beds are closer to the ground, ideal for patients with dementia or those who want to reduce the risk of injury from falling.
Ward Beds
Ward beds are ideal for multi-patient use in large wards or shared rooms with simple designs that require a higher number of beds for patients. Ward beds are cost-effective solutions for shared rooms or rooms with large numbers of beds.
Pediatric Beds
Pediatric beds cater to the unique needs of children and infants, extending their comfort to relieve young children.
Fowler Beds
Fowler beds have four perforated sections that allow patients to achieve different positions, especially patients who want to sit up straight or with bent knees. The other angle variations of these beds are
- A 90-degree angle (high Fowler position).
- The semi-fowler position is at 30 to 45 degrees.
- The low Fowler position with a slight elevation of the head.
For immobile patients experiencing respiratory distress, individuals needing nasal feeding tubes, postpartum women requiring uterine drainage, and those at risk of aspiration can benefit from this type of bed.
Semi Fowler Beds
With Semi Fowler beds, patients can elevate their upper body to a specific angle (less elevation, usually 30 to 45 degrees). This position is beneficial for patients with respiratory or cardiac conditions requiring lung expansion or a nasogastric tube.
ICU Beds
ICU beds are special for patients requiring intensive medical care and monitoring with round-the-clock care, advanced patient monitoring, customised positioning, mechanical ventilation, and patient safety features.
Tips for Selecting the Best Hospital Bed
- Carefully assess patient needs considering medical conditions, mobility level, and special requirements.
- Consider your hospital budget and select from manual, electric or semi-electric options.
- Examine the available hospital room space to install convenient beds that enable easy movement.
- Always check if the bed brakes, side railings and other emergency controls are in place without defects.
- Install beds according to patient weight capacity.
- Look for easy-to-clean yet durable beds online from trusted manufacturers. Buy Gallen hospital beds or Solace hospital beds online that promote patient well-being without jeopardising quality.
- Invest in additional accessories that benefit patient care, like mattress overlays, side tables, and patient lifts.