How Can Hospital Beds Be Used To Care For A Loved One With Dementia?

Dementia is a medical condition that causes a gradual decline in cognitive abilities that is severe enough to affect everyday activities and independence. Damage to brain cells, which prevents brain cells from properly communicating with one another, leads to dementia, which affects thinking, behaviour, and emotions. The primary cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, although there are other causes, including Parkinson’s disease, stroke, brain injuries, etc.

In this post, we provide 5 helpful suggestions to assist you in overcoming the challenges of providing care for a loved one who has dementia.

Symptoms Of Dementia

Coordination problems, physical deterioration, and maybe vision impairment will develop as dementia worsens as a result of the destruction of brain cells. Dementia patients fall more frequently than elderly persons with normal cognitive function. Because of this, a lowering feature on your bed is crucial to preventing accidents at night. The fewer injuries from falls there are, the closer they may sleep to the ground. For the patient’s safety, buying a hospital bed with a high-low elevation that is entirely electric is the ideal option. The bed may be adjusted so that it is high off the ground when the patient is awake and low enough for safe sleeping. 

How Can Hospital Beds Support Dementia Patients At Home?

In spite of their best efforts, they won’t be able to stand up and walk if they attempt to get out of bed. The height-adjustable features can also help to enhance healthcare when reliance on others increases as dementia advances. Without placing undue pressure on the body, the carer can lift the mattress to the level of the patient’s waist for feeding, in-bed washing and nursing care.

1. Select a “Low” Hospital Bed

A standard home hospital bed must be at least 14 inches tall. The patient will be positioned at a minimum of 19′′ from the floor if a therapeutic mattress is used. At its lowest, that is. Low hospital beds, on the other hand, may be lowered to a height of 7-9 inches off the ground.

Patients with dementia frequently go through their most difficult periods around dusk and at night. Even if the carer falls asleep while the patient is sleeping on a lower surface, the patient will be too low to suffer a harmful fall. Low hospital beds can stop falls that cause fractures of the hip, concussions, and other injuries. Additionally, it will be quite difficult for the individual to properly get out of bed from such a low height, even if they try. Hospital Bed Rental Near Me offers amazing ‘low’ hospital beds with great features in Toronto. You can hire them at very reasonable rates and give your Dementia patient great comfort and safety. 

2. Select A Hospital Bed With Profiling Options

Patients with dementia may experience anxiety at their most difficult moments. They feel discomfort that is difficult to treat on a typical bed, both psychologically and physically. A home hospital bed will make it simple for the carer to swiftly move the patient, especially if it has a Profiling function. It enables the patient to adjust to their requirements and find a more comfortable posture.

3. Encourage A Good Sleep Routine

The patient’s incapacity to walk about on their own worsens as the dementia worsens. This results in spending a lot of time immobile on the bed. As moisture accumulates between the body and the mattress, ordinarily healthy skin starts to deteriorate.

Additionally, it will stop the growth of new ones. To maintain the patient’s skin’s flexibility, their self-regulating air bladders will inflate and deflate at certain intervals. 

Summary

Although caring for a loved one who has dementia may be incredibly gratifying, it can also be quite stressful. Both the individual living with dementia and the carer may experience loneliness. In such a case, a hospital bed can provide ease and comfort to both the patient and the caretaker. 

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