Electric bed

[freshcarnation]

Mum is home from hospital, 93 and has advanced dementia. She's is too weak to get up from her bed now but wants to be able to sit up in bed rather than lying flat all the time. I've spoken to the district nurse team who are visiting Monday and I'll ask if she can have an NHS electric bed. However, if she doesn't qualify for one at this stage I'll buy one for her. Does anyone have any recommendations or advice for buying an electric bed? They seem to range from £500 to several thousand pounds and I'd like to get it right for her.

The nurses should be able to provide one. They,will carry out a risk assessment to see what sort of bed and mattress she will need. The beds are very heavy, if the nurses arrange one it will be delivered and put together by their contractors. I wouldnt buy one until she has had an assessment, the complete care shop do sell them but you will have to buy whatever mattress they recommend too. You could consider having the bed downstairs which is much easier to intall, are they arranging carers and other equipment too like a commode or continence products.

Oh thank you. I spoke to the hospital liaison people who said she may not qualify at this stage. She was sent home from hospital with a commode but is so weak we've not been able to get her out of bed to use it. Will see what the district nurse says when she comes on Monday.

She has a private carer four times a day and another career joining her for lifting.

If district nurse doesn't order one. You could self refer to equipment and adaptions at your local council (in our area they send out an occupational therapist to assess).
If you do buy an electric bed a single would be better carers sometimes refuse to care for patients in a double bed as it's not good for moving and handling. Also make sure you can raise the leg end to stop her sliding down and that it would accommodate some sides if required in the future.

Thats a good idea about referring her to your local council, has she had a care needs assessment from the local social services and therapists, everyone is entitled to a free assessment. Is she claiming attendance allowance which can help towards the cost of a private carer, she may also qualify for some funding help if she has nursing needs.
Make sure that the nurses carry out a risk assessment for her mobility, pressure areas, weight, continence, eating and her capacity to understand and retain information.
There are also grants available from the council towards adaptations in the home.
If you do end up buying a bed and mattress something like this might be suitable
www.completecareshop.co.uk/bedroom-aids/beds-and-mattresses/beds-and-mattress-packages/profiling-bed-with-high-risk-pressure-mattress?sku=Q95809

Thank you. She won't qualify for any help due to her savings but she does get higher attendance allowance.

You can also hire hospital beds, which might suit you better?

We bought one, and then got provided with a hospital bed which was so much more practical, it was rented from the same place that put all hand rails etc in, occupational therapy people

She should get one supplied. If she needs carers there should be one to enable them to work safely
If you do buy one a lot move within the frame but don't raise higher and lower, this doesn't help with transferring on/off the bed and doesn't allow carers move the bed to an appropriate height for cares to be administered

Really appreciate everyone's advice. It's my first time at the rodeo for this situation. I want to make sure she has the best and most comfortable ending for her life. Having seen her in hospital basically being left for a week I'm determined to get this part right for her.

@freshcarnation Is your mother under the care of a NHS Memory Clinic? They usually have an Occupational Therapist on their team who you can ask for an appropriate hospital bed.

I brought my son one as we needed sayer surgery but was going yo take to long through nurses etc

We have invacsre medley ergo (ironically I have exact sane one vi's nhs OT)
Can have rails both sides which csn drop down ,goes high low bed 3nd up also can lift knee bit so stops you slipping

Would need to consider mattress as if in bed all time then need good pressure relief mattress

My MIL has had an electric bed for 2 weeks but decided she prefers a double bed & gone back to the old one! FIL on the other hand finds it great as he needs help sitting up. They were just the £500 type not the full hospital spec ones. They took 3-4 weeks for delivery. They can have side rails/levers added, the occupation therapy or care team can advise.

Excuse spelling as painkillers affecting

@tomorrowisanother no she's not. She wasn't formally diagnosed with dementia until going into hospital a week ago. A brain scan picked up quite how bad it is. Due to Covid she hadn't seen a GP for several years

Make sure it will fold up to get through all the doorways. Otherwise you'll have to take the doors out of the frames.

Update - the district nurse magically arranged the bed which was delivered today. Very happy

@freshcarnation , that is excellent news. Please push for a full review of your mum's medical condition(s). There is so much help available to her and the family once she is diagnosed. Please also get in touch with your local Alzheimer's Society office for help available for her both physically and financially.