My step-father has had a few incidents of falling out of bed in the middle of the night. Aside from potentially causing serious injuries, falls can be emotionally traumatic for the individual, as well as their bed partner. In considering their options to prevent future mattress misadventures, they settled on a bedrail secured between the mattresses. Each individual is unique and safety considerations need to be customized according to their specific needs.For those of you also looking at bed rails for a standard, two mattress bed, here are some pros and cons to consider:
Pros:
Helpful in turning and repositioning within the bed.
Hand-hold for getting into or out of bed.
Providing a feeling of comfort and security.
Cons:
Strangling, suffocating, bodily injury or death when patients or part of their body are Arms and legs may can get caught between the rails or between mattress and the
If an individual attempts to climb over the rails, they can sustain serious injuries.
Skin bruising, cuts, and scrapes, especially if bed rails are not padded.
Bed rails can cause individuals to feel trapped, isolated and restricted
May cause the individual to behave in an agitated manner because they feel trapped.
Other options:
- Place a swimming pool noodle on the outer edge of the mattress just under the fitted sheet.
- Lowering the mattress and/or moving the mattress to the floor.
- Place an inflatable sleeping bag pad or foam pad on the floor next to the bed. You must make sure this doesn’t create a greater risk of accident.
- Place a walker next to the bed.
- To meet the need to use the bathroom during the night, place a potty chair or urinal near the bed.
- Place a glass of water on a night stand to address nighttime thirstiness.
I also recommend moving nightstands to the top of the bed and avoiding nightstands with sharp edges and corners.
