Personalize Patient Care: Hospital Bed Accessories for Every Need

While being admitted to a hospital, a patient utilizes multiple hospital items as well as machines along with regularly used medical supplies. These items are designed in such a way that the overall patient convenience is enhanced as well as the recovery process is speeded-up due to the minimum chances of being inflicted by another physical trauma. One such item which every hospitalized patient benefits from is the hospital bed which comes with a lot of additional accessories with the aim to serve the patient in every manner. In this article, a list of hospital bed accessories that are commonly employed has been compiled along with their details to give an overview.

Hospital bed accessories

The following accessory items are usually attached to the hospital beds:

• Overhead trapeze helper bar

An overhead trapeze helper bar serves its purpose by providing support to the patient while getting up from the bed, changing position from lying down to sitting up or changing sides while in bed. The patients for whom the overhead trapeze is necessary are usually those affected by traumatic lower-body injuries. Moreover, people with mobility issues also require the assistance of overhead trapeze. The most prominent advantage of using this bed accessory is that it reduces the dependence of the patient on the caregivers as the patient can do a lot without the need for little or no help.

• Additional assist rails

Although a hospital bed consists of side rails already, there may be a need for some additional assist rails, usually four in number, which help the patient to lean on while getting out of bed or vice versa. This way, the patient’s mobility is enhanced which results in maximum physical movement with minimum help. Furthermore, these assist rails, in some cases, prevent the patient from falling from the bed while sleeping thus preventing any further physical damage.

• Overbed table

The patients who are hospitalized may be in a state of paralysis or coma, conditions which reduce the patient’s needs during their hospital stay. But, in most cases, the patients are conscious and relatively mobile while being admitted to a hospital. In such cases, the patient needs to eat, work, read, or do whatever they want to do while sitting up in their bed. In these instances, the overbed table comes in handy. It is attached to the bed and provides convenience, not only to the patient but also to the caregivers by giving a space to put medications or other hospital supplies while dealing with a patient.

• Overbed reading light

An overbed reading light is an add-on item to the hospital bed. Patients who need to work while in a hospital, want to read late at night, or simply get up from their beds during the night need visual assistance without disturbing other patients. To provide convenience in such cases, these overbed reading lights can be employed. They are easy to fix and use and do not hinder the other overbed accessories due to their smaller size and compact design. Among an LED and a fluorescent one, an LED light is a better option as it consumes lesser power and gives good light.

• Underbed auto-nightlight

Underbed auto-nightlights are the sources of light that are affixed under the patient’s bed. At night time, if a patient wakes up for the purpose of using the toilet or asking for help from a caregiver, these nightlights light up automatically thus minimizing the chances of tripping and falling due to darkness. Once their use is done, these lights go off without any human intervention.

• Length extension

For patients who are taller than 6’2″, the hospital bed is smaller in size. While laying down, their feet bang against the footboard or they have to adjust them on it. In such cases, length extensions are added to the hospital bed which increases the length of the bed by at least 8″ thus giving more space to the patient ultimately enhancing the patient’s comfort.

• Bed cradles

Bed cradles are metallic or wooden frames that are affixed near the patient’s feet. Over these frames, the bedding is wrapped. The main purpose of these bed cradles is that they manage the weight of the bedding such as blankets and let the patient relax. These cradles are particularly important for patients who have an injury on their feet which is plastered. In cases of feet amputation,

• Waterproof mattress with protectors and toppers

Waterproof mattresses, along with waterproof sheets, help protect the mattress from wetting or soiling while being used particularly by a patient with incontinence or frequent vaginal discharge. If these items get dirty, they can be wiped out easily.  

Apart from these major hospital bed accessories, there are other items as well which, although not needed for every patient, are frequently used in hospital setups for providing convenience to the hospitalized/bedridden subjects. These items include the following:

•         Water or air mattress
•         Elbow or heel rings
•         Pillows and cushions
•         Hot water bottle
•         Sandbags
•         Footrest
•         Urinals
•         Bedpans
•         Bed lockers

Conclusion

A hospital bed is one of the essential items needed and utilized by every hospitalized patient. It serves as a resting station for the patient i.e. a place where almost all the treatment is given. Along with this, multiple hospital bed accessories are affixed in order to increase the user experience and convenience for the patient as well as the physician. These accessories, designed to provide various advantages, also reduce the time during the treatment process and save a lot of trouble.