Next Page View All Stander Bed Cane Transfer Handle Bed Rail Advantage Traveler 30 Inch Safety Bed Rail EZ Adjust Bed Rail Stander Omni Tray Mobility Handle Posey Hipsters Standard Brief 30 Inch Safety Bed Rail with Padded Pouch Next Page View AllAnyone who has had a loved one in a nursing home knows that feeling of dread when the phone rings early in the morning or late at night. It's never good news. "I'm sorry -- your mother fell out of bed again and is on her way to the emergency room," the voice at the other end says.None of my mother's falls resulted in serious injury. But thousands of nursing-home residents aren't so fortunate. About 1,800 die every year from injuries related to falls, such as traumatic brain injury and broken bones, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Those who survive are often left with permanent disabilities that further reduce their quality of life. Since my mother fell and broke her hip at home in 2011, she has been wheelchair-bound -- thanks to balance issues and dementia that have prevented her from learning how to walk again.
During her three-month nursing-home stint for rehab, she fell three times. In the two years since that she has been living at home with a full-time aide and sleeping in a bed with guard rails, she hasn't fallen at all. Falls occur at least twice as often in nursing homes than among elderly people living in the community. Nursing homes with 100 beds typically report 100 to 200 falls a year, but many more falls go unreported, the CDC says. As many as half of the nation's 1.5 million nursing-home residents fall at least once every year -- and many fall more than once. While nursing-home residents generally are frailer than elderly people living at home, conditions at the facilities also contribute to the problem. Chief among them is medication that affects coordination and causes confusion, such as antipsychotics that nursing homes prescribe to make patients more compliant -- although the Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987 expressly forbids the use of "chemical restraints." More than one in five nursing-home patients receive these drugs.
Nursing homes are required by law to perform a fall-risk assessment on every patient -- checking for gait disorders and other problems that predispose patients to falling -- and implement a fall-prevention plan, says Robert Rooth, a Chicago area lawyer who specializes in nursing-home cases. But the plans often consist of a preprinted form that fails to address each individual's issues and needs. "Nursing homes don't have enough staff to monitor people properly or get them to the toilet," Rooth says. "On a wing of 20 to 30 residents, you typically have one nurse who sits at a nursing station giving out doctor's orders and two to three CNAs [certified nursing assistants] who are the least trained and the least paid, and they have to do everything. "If there were enough properly trained staff and they really looked at the reasons people are falling, no one would have to fall because it's not rocket science." Falls often occur because residents try to get to the bathroom by themselves after they ring for help and no one appears.
Motion-detector alarms, beds set at a low height and a protective mat placed by the bed can help minimize falls and injuries. Nursing-home patients should also be given the option of having guard rails on their bed. When I asked to have them put on my mother's nursing-home bed, I was told that they are illegal, when, in fact, the Nursing Home Reform Act says they can be provided with a doctor's orders. Between 1985 and 2009, nearly 500 hospital and nursing-home patients died from suffocation or strangulation after becoming caught between the bed rails and the mattress. No preventable death should occur in a nursing home, but that number is dwarfed by the 1,800 deaths every year caused by falls. Once again, my mother is lucky: She can afford the one-on-one care and medical equipment that has kept her safe since her nursing-home stay. But most elderly people can't -- and the nursing homes entrusted with their care aren't giving them the protection they deserve. The page you requested cannot be found.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. to report the error.This section features bed rails and bars to help people get in and out of bed easily. These supports can be an important means for people to retain independence in the bedroom. A bed rail can either be fixed to the bed itself, or slide beneath the mattress, depending on the model. Items 1 to 30 of 50 total Bed Leaver - Bed Grab Rail A solid bed rail, popular with medical professionals and domestic users. Easyrail Bed Grab Rail This bed rail is made to fit beds with a side frame, like commonly found wooden slatted beds. Easyleaver Bed Grab Rail Designed for divans, this good quality rail gives great support to the user when getting in or out of bed. Provides support and stability for people who need help getting in and out of bed. An ultra sturdy grab rail for the bed, offering stability and confidence. A handy steel rail that can aid in rising from and getting into bed.
Parnell Premier Bed Rail A handy rail that can aid the user in getting in and out of bed. Easy to use and folds down for storage. Easy to install and ideal for travel or storage. EZ Adjustable Bed Rail With Pouch This swing-down bed rail comes with a handy pocket for useful items like phones and remote controls. Bed Rail Advantage Traveller Portable rail which gives support and stops the user rolling out of bed. This popular rail provides a large U-shaped support arm which is suitable for divan beds. This U-shaped rail sits flat across a slatted bed, using the weight of the mattress to hold it in position. Ultra sturdy bed grab rail, offering stability and confidence Anti-Roll Bed Side Wedges Supplied with two wedges, these are a perfect alternative to metal bed rails. Parnell Premier Plus Bed Rail A bed rail that is designed for use with higher beds and/or thicker mattresses. Elland Bed Grab Rail This is a sturdy U-shaped support arm which clamps to the frame of a metal and profiling bed.
The bed loop rail is designed specifically for use with hospital-style metal framed beds. Foldable Easy Fit Bed Rail This support rail fits easily and is compatible with divans and slatted beds. Slatted Bed Grab Rail A bed rail that can be used with slatted beds to provide a leverage support point. Features a strong steel handle with a cushioned grip which provides reliable support. A handy frame and grip that can be used to assist in rising from a seated or lying position. Ceiling mounted support, allowing the user to rise from a lying position. Comfortable looped handrails assist in smooth transfers in and out of bed. Telescopic Full Length Siderail (Single Bed) A pair of chrome-plated steel bed cot side rails, suitable for single beds. The Beside Econorail is the most portable bed rail in the world. A strong and sturdy support rail that provides support when transferring in and out of bed. Metro Travel Bed Cane A dual purpose walking aid that can also be used as a bed rail.