The aim of this factsheet is to provide information about accessories for standard beds and beds with special features that are available to help people with specific difficulties or their carers. These difficulties may include getting in and out of bed, turning over, sitting up and generally getting comfortable in bed. Comfort and sleeping well are essential not only for the well-being of a person, but also because, for some people, they may mean the difference between being able or unable to carry out activities independently. If you are experiencing difficulty with any of the activities mentioned above, you may benefit from an assessment by a physiotherapist or occupational therapist. Sometimes a change in the way you carry out an activity or a different technique may help you to manage independently instead of using equipment. body positioning devices (these help to position a person with specific clinical needs, e.g. someone who has contractures). However, other items are regarded as daily living equipment, i.e. that which enables a person to get on with daily living, and may make them more independent.

Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Massage therapy involves manipulating the body’s soft tissues to relieve pain from sore and aching muscles. There are many different types of massage, including classical and shiatsu. Bed leg raisers are placed under the legs to raise the height of the bed. This can make standing easier. However, once raised, the height of the bed is set and the problems mentioned before may sometimes still be encountered. For example, although the raised height helps a person to stand it is too high for them to sit safely on the edge of the bed and/or to lift their legs into bed. because most inclinators do not have a knee break there is a risk the person may slip down the bed as soon as he/she sits up or later after a period of sitting. Three- or four-sectioned variable posture beds have the option to raise the person's knees to help prevent this happening;a more comfortable and stable position can be achieved in a bed with four sections, as the user’s bottom remains horizontal while the knees are raised to form a break; Standard rails have safety catches on the outside. These can prevent an otherwise independent person from getting out of bed and going to the toilet. Some electric beds can be controlled by the occupant. This means he/she can select the most suitable height for getting in and getting out of the bed, sometimes with little or no assistance.

Some rollers are padded and can, occasionally, be left in position under the person; others are very thin and are nearly always removed after use. If a roller is left in position it is important to ensure the person will not accidentally slip out of bed. Sometimes it is regarded as home nursing equipment, i.e. that which a community nurse considers necessary to help him or her carry out nursing duties effectively. Examples of items that may be supplied by the community nurse are: The roller is placed across the bed and under the user who is lying flat on the bed with the open ends facing the head and feet. Once the roller is positioned some users find they can then turn independently. Alternatively, carers can assist the user by pulling on the top layer of the roller or by pulling on a correctly positioned handling sheet on top of the roller. Both domestic and hospital versions of variable posture beds are available. The domestic ones tend to be smaller with a wooden or padded headboard and generally look more homely. The hospital versions are larger, usually with a metal frame, more resilient and often have a choice of nursing functions. However, if a person finds a massage cushion uncomfortable or painful, they should stop using it. Can people with a pacemaker use a massage cushion?

Many of the beds with special features are available as a double bed where one side of the bed remains as a standard bed. manually operated beds are controlled by a foot-operated gas-assisted mechanism, a lever or winding mechanism or a ratchet system. The carer can find all of these quite hard work and the user cannot control the adjustment. It is difficult to support someone on a turning disc. If support is needed ask for an occupational therapist or physiotherapist to assess the situation. One possible solution is a turning disc with a frame which the person can hold onto. The cons include some users finding the massage function too rough, plus reports of loud noises in some massage modes and some problems with product quality. The bulletin recommends that alternative methods of bed care/management should be considered first, such as:

https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/arrhythmia/prevention--treatment-of-arrhythmia/devices-that-may-interfere-with-icds-and-pacemakersMore expensive devices may have additional features, such as variable speeds and massage options. Can people who are pregnant use massage cushions? The council assessor considers the type and level of your need. If you have many needs or if your needs are assessed as essential or complex the council may help directly; for example, if you have difficulty moving in bed and getting out of bed. It does not include a frail elderly person who is otherwise able-bodied or any person who is only temporarily disabled or incapacitated, such as with a broken limb.‘personal or domestic’ use means that the supply must be made available specifically for the use of an eligible individual.