Does Your Elderly Loved One Need Help Getting Into and Out of Their Bed?

As your loved one gets older, they are going to lose strength in their muscles, as well as balance and flexibility. Your elderly loved one might complain of painful joints a lot, too. They may have diabetes, dementia, arthritis, and other conditions that make it difficult for them to get around. One of the difficulties that your elderly loved one might fact is getting into and out of their bed. However, there are some ways that you can help your elderly loved one with this issue.

Appropriate Bed Height

There is not just one bed height that works for all elderly adults. With this said, it is still important to figure out what sized bed your elderly loved one is going to need. Generally, elderly adults need a bed height of 18-23 inches. This is about the height of a kitchen or living room chair.

You or one of the caregivers can have our elderly loved one standing up without any shoes on. Then you will measure about 2 inches above your loved one’s knee. In addition, when your elderly loved one sits down on their bed, near the edge, they should be able to put their feet flat on their floor. You should be able to notice that their knees align properly with their hips. If their knees are higher than their hips, this means their bed isn’t high enough. If that is the case, it can make it tough for them to get out of their bed.

Helping Your Elderly Loved One Out of Their Bed

It is important that safety measures are taken when you get your elderly loved one out of their bed. If they need to be lifted out, whoever is helping should be careful. Improper lifting can cause damage to the skin, trauma to their muscles, broken bones, and other health issues.

It is important that you and your loved one’s caregivers get them out of bed properly, especially if they already have special needs or wounds. If they don’t have these issues, remind them to get out of their bed slowly. They should bend their knees and slowly lift themselves up. If they move too quickly, they would have a higher risk of falling and getting injured.

There are some tools that can help your elderly loved one to get out of their bed. There are gait belts, slide boards, bed rails, leg lifters, folding canes, transfer poles, and more.

Helping Your Elderly Loved One Get Into Their Bed

In addition to getting out of their bed, your elderly loved one might need help getting into their bed, as well. This can be a challenge for many elderly adults, especially if they are feeling weak or unstable. Just be sure that any changes that are made to the bed height are tested before your elderly loved one gets into their bed on their own.

These are some of the tips for helping your elderly loved one into and out of their bed. If you can help to make your loved one’s bed the appropriate height, you can help to keep them safe.

Sources
https://www.cort.com/ideas-and-inspiration/design-guides/guide-to-bed-height