Bed Rails - To Help the Elderly Rest Safely

At times, people's mobility and body balance may start reducing with ageing and they may face difficulty walking around without support or a caretaker's assistance. They may even feel wobbly or shaky while walking, getting up or sitting down. In some cases, they may find it hard to get out of bed independently and may need a carer to help them. One of the important bedroom aids that can be of help in this situation is conventional bed rails. Another similar bedroom aid is bed sides or wedges that is a slightly modern version of traditional rails.

Read below to know more about their uses and benefits.

Uses

Though a professional's medical advice is of topmost priority before picking a bedroom aid, here are the few general things with which bed sides or rails may help:

• Poor body strength
• Reduced flexibility
• Decreased endurance
• Body weakness, dizziness or balance issues
• Pain in joints or muscles

Benefits

Both bedroom aids - rails and wedges not only help get in and out of bed but also ensure protection against fall injuries when sleeping.

Read on to know in detail the benefits these aids offer.

• Offers a Solid Support

Besides helping the elderly get in and out, they also provide sturdy solid support to hold on to while rolling in the bed or moving around it - especially if they have reduced body strength.

Several diseases like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) or fibromyalgia may make even small movements quite exhausting and you may need a hand hold. With ageing, weakened abdominal muscles may cause pain while bending and changing between sitting and supine positions may become painful. A rail fitted near the bed can act like a hand hold that may help you move around without losing much energy. It also can help you sit down or move to a supine position easily. It can also help change positions when resting in the bed.

• Provides Guidance

A bed rail can also guide you on where to position yourself in the bed. You can easily sit beside it at a place from where you can move into your bed and lie down there in the best and most comfortable way possible. Similarly, it can guide you on which positioning to use to move yourself up and come out of bed without straining yourself or banging your sensitive feet against the floor while swinging them out before you finally stand fully to avoid imbalance or sudden pain.

• Prevents Fall Injuries while Sleeping

If you suffer from dizziness after you wake up from sleep for some time, or you change positions too often while sleeping; chances are you may accidentally roll out of bed while sleeping or fall down while getting up from it. However, if you secure rails beside your bed, they can ensure your safety and prevent you from rolling over and falling down from bed - especially when you are sleeping and reduce the possibility of fall injuries to a minimum.

• Helps regain Self-reliance and Confidence

By helping you move around, stand up or sit down, change positions, and sleep without the fear of falling; a bed rail or wedge helps you become self-reliant. As you no longer require a carer to attend to you every time you need to move in or out of bed or around, change positions while in the bed; you regain your confidence and it helps you shun your fears of injuries or concerns. In the long run, your confidence and emotional strength also helps you fight your illness - acute or chronic with a positive attitude and inspires you to retain your mobility as far as possible through consistent recommended exercises or therapies.

Though bed rails may be beneficial in general, they may also pose risks like accidental strangling, rail entrapment causing you to get caught, stuck or trapped between bed and rails. Therefore, following proper safety guidelines and instructions holds importance to ensure their safe use. Referring to the user manual and asking your physiotherapist for safety tips can work well.

In a Nutshell

Both bed rails and bed sides form two essential bedroom aids. By following safety tips while using them, the elderly can get help moving in and out of bed and sleep safely without the risk of fall injuries.

Derry has been working in the mobility aids industry since 2003, acquiring a wealth of knowledge along the way. Before Essential Aids, Derry's background was in engineering. In his spare time he is a devotee of yoga and rare reggae vinyl.