Elders, especially those who need complete care, are prone to pressure ulcers and other related diseases. These can be prevented and treated easily through constant repositioning to allow proper blood circulation on the affected area. There are lots of hospital beds for sale today, each with great features to boast and claims to highlight. However, choosing the best among them is challenging since we should take into account various considerations.
There’s no doubt we’re amazed by the comfort and technology brought by electric beds, but the cost might really be a pain in the pocket. Thankfully, manual hospital beds are cheaper and have the same purpose as the fully electric ones, making them economical and worth it for families with tight budgets.
What is a manual hospital bed?
A manual hospital bed is a bed specifically made to aid patients with minimal to no mobility. It features a different level of comfort and safety for both the patient and the health care worker. Manual hospital beds are operated using a hand crank. Patients can control the movement of this bed because the crank is often located near the head and the foot area. However, cranking may require a little force and strength, depending on the weight on the bed. In case the patient is immobile, the assistance of the caregiver is needed.
How do you raise a hospital bed?
Manual hospital beds often come with three cranks for control. They are located either on the lower part of the headrest or the lower part of the footrest. The first crank is the head crank, in the middle is the crank to lower or raise the bed, and on the other side is the foot crank. There are also caster locks on the bed’s wheels to keep it stable and for safety purposes.
Beds for homecare are raised to have better positioning of patients. It promotes movement and reduces pressure on the back of their back area. You can raise it by cranking the high-low crank clockwise. You can also tilt the head and foot portion of the bed for up to 45 degrees. It is done by rotating the head and foot crank clockwise. The most common inclination used for patients is from 15 to 30 degrees.
Can you manually lower a hospital bed?
YES! To be able to lower the bed, you must first secure the locking system. Make sure that all the levers of the caster locks are pressed down. It ensures that the bed is intact in its desired location keeping the patient free from falling. Then, you can start rotating the middle crank counterclockwise to lower the bed. Meanwhile, if you want to lower or decrease the inclination of the bed, you can rotate the hand and foot crank counterclockwise.
How much does a manual hospital bed weigh?
Most manual hospital beds weigh in the range of 400lbs to 500 lbs. Since they are made from high-grade welded steel, they cost more than ordinary beds. The maximum weight capacity of manual beds ranges from 300lbs to 400lbs. You can also choose the size of hospital beds depending on your preference. There are standard sizes, pediatric sizes, and bariatric sizes.
How do you lower the side of a hospital bed?
No matter how safe we think it is for patients, there is always this possibility of falling. Thus, side railings are made to give extra protection. Manual hospital beds have detachable side railings. They are technically not part of the bed itself but an accessory to it. You can slightly pull the rail with one hand to lower the side rail and remove the plunger that locks the rails. Then, you can slowly drop it to the bottom. To raise the rails, you can raise it back to the original position, then put the plunger, and it’s all set.
How low does a hospital bed go down?
Hospital beds can be lowered from 15 inches to 25 inches, depending on the type and size of the bed. However, some beds available in the market can go down to 9.5 inches if the patient is shorter than usual, those are more commonly known as a high low hospital bed. Pediatric hospital beds are the best example.
How high can a hospital bed go?
Manual Hospital beds can be raised from 30 inches to 35 inches depending on the type of bed. Bariatric beds are examples of beds which heights can go up to 34 inches to 39 inches. One perfect example is the bariatric beds. These are heavy-duty beds that have a maximum weight capacity of 750lbs.
Quick Turnaround
The best hospital beds are not always the ones with high remote controls and technology. Instead, the best hospital beds are the one that serves its purpose to bring comfort and safety to both the patient and the healthcare aid. It is the one that fits the budget of families that genuinely wants what’s best for their loved ones. Sometimes, words are deceiving, and if we generalize the features and characteristics of hospital beds, we would see that it all narrows down to a common purpose.
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