4 Assistive Devices for Elderly’s Bed
There are many assistive devices on the market. But as a caretaker, you need to figure out which ones will work best for your elderly or the injured person. You need to make sure that you buy the aids according to their medical condition. It helps you give a proper idea of what kind of support they need and in which activities they will require this support. They might not be able to move in and out of the bed easily, but need a knee pillow for their knees as well as their back. Keep reading further to know what four assistive aids your elderly need, which can help them feel comfortable and secure to carry out their daily chore by themselves, that also helps them to feel a sense of freedom and independence.
1. Leg Lifters:
Leg lifters are one of the most used assistive devices that the elderly use. It is used for people with limited mobility, or those with injury or any kind of recent surgery in the knee or the hip like a replacement surgery.
This is also used as an auxiliary tool for leg weakness patients or even for arthritis patients. This device directly fits into the bed and is detachable. It is light in weight and portable to use. It helps minimize the risk of back injury by reducing the movements. Since it is detachable, it does not require permanent installation like a few other assistive aids.
Lifting legs in bed becomes difficult, but an inflatable leg lifter helps especially the elderly with the movement. It is attached underneath the mattress to help them with the same.
2. Grab Rails for Beds:
There are many benefits of using grab rails for beds. It helps with the turning and repositioning within the bed, which becomes difficult for the elderly. It helps provide a grip to hold on to while getting in and out of the bed. It provides the elderly with a sense of comfort and freedom. It also helps reduce the risks of the patients falling from the bed while being transported. It helps to balance the body of the elderly better. It also provides easy access to personal items that lay nearby and also helps with controlling the bed controls.
3. Knee Pillow:
Knee pillows provide pressure relief to the elderly. It also helps them direct their spinal cord alignment. It is usually used by side sleepers, pregnant women, back or joint pain sufferers, and also anyone looking for extra comfort for their knees.
The main goal of the knee pillow is to provide support, align the spinal cord and reduce the pain by providing light pressure. It allows the elderly to sleep for 7-8 hours at night, and helps them recover fast. It also helps them get proper sleep without any muscle pain. Because without enough sleep, the person feels irritated and cranky most of the time. Also, it helps them to find their perfect sleeping position and enjoy their sleep.
4. Over Bed Tables:
One of the ideal solutions that helps the elderly needs are over bed tables. Over the tables are movable and can be adjusted according to the users requirements. It helps provide the privilege to the users to eat their food peacefully in their bed. It is mainly used by the elderly, the bed ridden patients and by many others as well.
But as caretaker, you need to make sure that it is clean. The table should be cleaned after each use otherwise there are chances of the table getting bacteria and transmitting it to the elderly. It is portable, flexible, adjustable, and is easy to clean and maintain. It helps provide a sense of comfort to the users by limiting their movement to the dining table.
Conclusion:
Aging is not easy. It makes daily tasks difficult for the person. Also, being bed ridden or with knee or back pain or surgery, you need to have assistive devices to help them temporarily or permanently. You need to know what all different kinds of options you can have to provide it to your elderly.
