Medical beds have the flexibility and adjustability that suits the needs of various patients. For example, the head can be lowered or raised accordingly and the lower parts can also be raised or lowered according to the needs of the patient. Patients who are bed-bound require a bed with more adjustable features to ensure comfort and functionality. A bed with the most adjustable features prevents patients from getting bedsores and pressure. There are three common types of hospital emergency beds, there are also more specialized hospital beds for bariatric patients, let’s focus on the three major types of hospital beds in this writeup.
Manual: It has hand cranks that caregivers can use to raise or lower parts of the hospital bed to various heights and positions according to patients’ requirements. The caregivers have the option to adjust the head or the limbs of the patients using hand cranks manually. These kinds are economical for patients that do not require repositioning regularly. These cranks are located at the foot side of the bed and require someone with the physical capability to operate. The price of these kinds of hospital beds is cheaper compared to the other two types.
Semi-electric: The moveable parts i.e head and lower parts use motorized mechanisms to adjust various bed positions. Caregivers adjust the bed position by pressing a button located in the hand pendant. To adjust the height of a semi-electric hospital bed, the caregiver must adjust by rotating the hand crank located on the foot section of the bed. But if there is a power outage, the bed can still be adjusted manually just like the manual type of hospital bed above. It is ideal for people who do not require height adjustment on the hospital bed frequently but require other adjustable features more often by the touch of a button.
Full electric hospital bed: this is a more sophisticated hospital bed that a patient or the caregiver can simply adjust the height and the positioning of the bed by the touch of a button. This type of bed has a hand crank that caregivers might opt for to adjust various parts of the bed in case of a power outage. But today, these kinds of beds have power back-ups that can still power the bed when there is a power outage. It is easier to operate in case of emergency to achieve comfortable positions for the patient. It allows caregivers to easily change linens or transfer patients from the bed to other hospital patient assistant furniture like bath trolleys and others. Full electric Modsel emergency hospital beds feature more positions for example; Trendelenburg position, reverse Trendelenburg or cardiac chair options. Trendelenburg position is where the patient lies on the bed with the legs higher than the head from between 15-30 degrees and the reverse Trendelenburg position is the opposite; the head is positioned higher by 15-30 degrees than the feet. While cardiac chair positions help people recovering from cardiac surgery and respiratory illnesses.
Do hospital beds come with mattresses?
Unless they are part of the package, hospital beds come without mattresses. Selecting the right mattresses for patients who are bed bound most of the time is critical to limit bed sores or even pressure in patients. It is important to consult a specialist before placing an order for a hospital bed.
