Independent Living: The Importance of Bedroom Safety
Suppose you’re struggling with mobility issues or have a disability but want to be able to hold onto your independence. Most people would rather stay in their homes during this time than move to a nursing home. In that case, these bedroom safety tips will make living at home easier. Ensuring that your bedroom is safe and that you can access everything you need will help improve your quality of life and allow you to live more comfortably.
Bedroom Safety
As we age, it’s common to suffer from mobility issues, and it also becomes harder to recover from accidents. It’s essential to ensure that your bedroom is safe and that you can remain home.
When you sit on your bed, you should be able to have your feet flat on the floor while keeping your knees at a 90-degree angle. You may need to adjust the height of your bed or buy a different mattress. A better solution may be to use a hospital bed, which can be easily modified.
Bed Safety Tips
If you’re using a hospital bed, you should ensure it has been stabilized to make it safe. Wheels should be locked so that the bed doesn’t move unexpectedly. Beds with adaptive height or that recline can also help with mobility issues.
A stable item such as a chair or bedside cabinet that you can hold onto upon rising will help improve stability. It is also wise to use non-slip slippers or socks, which will help to enhance bedroom safety, particularly if you need to get up at night.
Getting out of bed can present a possible fall risk for some people. It would be best if you always rose slowly as this will help alleviate sudden dizziness, which is often caused by changing position too quickly. Many people with mobility issues will also have reduced strength and balance problems.
Eliminate tripping hazards
Ensure that there is a clear path from the entrance of your bedroom to your bed and the restroom. Keep it clutter-free and remove any furniture likely to cause a blockage, especially when it is dark. Ensure that bedding is not too large. If you use long sheets or lots of blankets and pillows, these could become a trip hazard.
Lighting
If you get up often at night, you’ll need to ensure easy access to lighting. You may like to invest in multiple nightlights or even have a voice or touch-activated lighting installed, which will be faster and easier to switch on. This will help to make your bedroom safer.
Hospital Bed Options
Choosing the right hospital bed is essential. Proper sizing and assessing which type of functionality is most valuable to the end user is crucial for bed effectiveness. All hospital beds are not equal. There are various sizes, including long or tall, as well as wide and bariatric.
Positioning such as Trendelenburg can help promote better circulation and alleviate pain but is not standard on all hospital beds. Some beds go lower to the ground, and others will rise higher and have caregiver controls to aid with incontinence care or dressing changes.
Having the correct mattress for your bed is vital in creating optimal bedroom safety. Having the proper mattress can help with comfort and expedite the healing process. Many options include low profile, therapeutic foam, low air loss, and memory foam.
Proactively preventing falls can often require the assistance of various devices and hospital beds. Accessories like rails and trapeze bars complement hospital beds very well. Other bedroom safety items like floor-to-ceiling safety poles, stepping stools with handles, and wall-mounted grab bars may also be considered.
Independent living Experts
By being proactive and making minor changes to your bedroom, you’ll be safer and more able to live at home. This will help you to improve your quality of life. Contact our independent living experts at Copper Star Home Medical today to learn more about the importance of bedroom safety and ways to make your bedroom safer.
