A hospital bed for home, believe it or not, could be a great tool to bring care and relaxation for your senior. These beds aren’t just limited to visits to the emergency room; they’re great ways to allow your senior to safely rest and heal from injury or chronic pain. While a hospital bed may seem clinical or intimidating, you may end up finding that it is a major source of physical and mental relief, for both you and the senior you care about.
As our seniors get older, they may begin to struggle more with their mobility and ability to complete day-to-day tasks. This especially true if your senior deals with physical or mental disabilities.
That’s where, for many, a hospital bed comes into play. As is the case in hospitals, these beds allow both user and caregiver to make adjustments to ensure that your senior is as comfortable and supported as possible. We know that a sense of calm over their physical needs is important to you, so your loved one’s comfort will translate into your comfort.
If you’ve decided that a hospital bed in the home is a good option for your senior, you might be wondering where to start. There are many types of hospital beds, different models, and different manufacturers to consider, and it can be quite daunting to dive into all of it on your own.
Fortunately, we’ve done some of the hard work for you. We’ll break down some of the reasons to purchase a hospital bed for the home as well as what to look for, how to understand the different types of beds, and how to make a bed affordable for you.
Hospital beds, much like their purpose in a hospital, are a great tool to help your senior recover or heal from an injury, rest, and receive care from the home. Hospital beds are safe and secure, and they feature characteristics (discussed in more depth later) that make them good options for seniors of all sorts.
A hospital bed for the home might seem like an unusual idea, but hospital beds are commonly utilized by caregivers to provide a supportive and safe place for seniors to rest and recover.
There are lots of options on the market, so deciding which is the best fit for your senior can be overwhelming. Luckily, we’ve broken down all sorts of information about hospital beds for you, including where to buy them, what to look for, and how to access more affordable options if needed.
Hospital beds for the home are available both on the web and in-person, though the former may be the most accessible option and the one that gives you the most choice. If you’re looking to find a model in-person, many medical supply stores sell a variety of mobility and medical devices, including hospital beds.
You may also be able to find reduced-price or free hospital beds on the market, which we’ll unpack a bit more later.
With so many shapes, sizes, and designs to choose from, it can seem impossible to know where to start when you’re looking to purchase a good hospital bed, especially if you have little or no background working with hospital beds!
Considering both your senior and their individual challenges is a great first step to take before you start browsing, as certain bed designs or functions might be better suited to some seniors than others.
Hospital beds come in all different shapes and sizes, and some might be better for some individuals than others. Here we discuss some of the main types of hospital beds on the market so that you can make an informed decision about what sort of model works for your senior.
Manual hospital beds are those that don’t feature electric mechanisms to move or adjust parts of the bed; instead, users can use a hand-crank to adjust the head or foot of the bed.
These models are great for those who are on a limited budget, as they tend to be cheaper than their fully electric counterparts (prices vary, but you can expect to save a few hundred dollars). However, manually adjusting the bed may prove to be difficult for seniors to achieve themselves.
Manual hospital beds are still great options for those who are equipped to use them. If your senior struggles with mobility or needs frequent adjustment, this option might not be the best for you. Otherwise, it can be a more cost-friendly and approachable way to bring a hospital bed into the home.
Semi-electric hospital beds typically feature some electric mechanisms, but they are not entirely electric. For example, bed height may have to be manually adjusted with a crank or lever, but other parts of the bed may feature electric adjustment features.
Semi-electric beds are an in-between option and feature some of the pros and cons of both manual and electric beds: they are easier to use and adjust, but they still are often slightly cheaper than fully electric hospital beds.
Electric hospital beds, as the name implies, are fully adjustable through electric mechanisms. These are typically the types of beds that you find in an actual hospital room, and for good reason: they’re easy to adjust whether you’re on or off the bed, even if you don’t possess a lot of physical strength or are otherwise limited in some way.
Unfortunately, electric beds, while very convenient, tend to be the most expensive hospital bed models. For seniors who will use their bed long-term or require frequent adjustment, this sort of investment may make more sense.
Still, electric hospital beds tend to be the most accessible for people with physical disabilities or limitations. Whether or not a fully electric model is the right choice for you and your loved one largely depends on your situation: whether or not the additional financial burden is worthwhile may come down to what level of care your senior needs.
Aside from the main subcategories we’ve discussed, there are a few more characteristics to look out for when it comes to choosing a type of bed.
Bariatric hospital beds, for example, are specifically designed with larger users in mind. These beds tend to be stronger and bigger/wider to better support and bring comfort to larger patients.
High-low beds, (or simply a low bed) are another great example. These models may have increased vertical movement abilities to make it easier for a user to get on or off the bed, or they might simply just be further or closer to the ground.
We’ve covered the main types of hospital beds you’ll likely encounter, but be sure to look into what specific, unique features the model you choose has to offer!
As great a tool as they are, hospital beds can be pricey. They are large medical devices, after all, and they are generally a worthy investment if your senior requires long-term care and comfort.
Still, the cost associated with hospital beds or other mobility devices can be debilitating. No one deserves to have to make the choice between adequately caring for their senior and being financially responsible. Fortunately, it’s possible to do both.
If you’re looking to actually purchase a bed instead of renting, a used hospital bed can be a much more affordable option. Used hospital beds are generally still in great condition and function well, as they are usually bought back from former users by credible retailers.
In order to find a used hospital bed, you may be able to consult the same sorts of retailers (both online and in-person) as we’ve discussed above. Some retailers may feature used models of their own brand within stores, for example, or you may find more success searching online.
Used hospital bed prices vary, and you’ll likely have to check with the seller or retailer you’ve found for a specific quote and ideas about any additional costs. It’s also possible to buy a used bed directly from a private owner (through a service like eBay, for example), but these models don’t guarantee good quality or a warranty.
Either way, you can expect to save a significant amount of money on a used model. Many start out in the $300-500 range, which can be less than half of what you could expect a brand-new model to cost.
Another cost-effective option is hospital bed rental. Dealers, manufacturers, and retailers may offer rental plans for their hospital beds to help make the cost of the product more accessible; some may even feature rent-to-own programs.
Again, in order to get an accurate idea of what sort of cost you can expect for a hospital bed rental, the first step to take is to get a quote from a seller.
Depending on where you live and what resources are available to you, you may be able to find free hospital beds for your senior. Many charity and nonprofit organizations provide good-quality medical devices or mobility devices to seniors of all kinds at no cost.
For more information about this option, be sure to look out for what’s available in your community. Speaking with your senior’s doctor may also be a great way to get some insight into what sort of free or reduced-cost options are available for those who need them.
Finding the perfect hospital bed for the home is no easy task, especially if you’re working with limited funds. Luckily, there are options available for just about any senior, regardless of their individual needs and challenges.
There are a lot of factors to consider when deciding which type and model of the bed are best for you and your senior, but what’s most important is to choose what works best for your situation. For many seniors, simply having the devices and tools they need to feel comfortable makes a world of a difference.
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