Would Bed Rails Help?

If your parent needs a little help getting in and out of bed or is a little unsteady on their feet it may be time to consider getting some Bed Rails.  

Bed Rails really help a great deal if your parent has trouble sitting up in bed and also prevent them from falling out of bed during the night.  Sometimes a parent who has trouble walking will attempt to get out of bed during the night and end up falling, having bed rails will keep them in bed until someone can get to them to help.

Dad used to get up in the middle of the night, forgetting he couldn't walk on his own, thinking he needed to use the bathroom even though he was in a diaper and had a Texas catheter on, he'd just pull the catheter off and end up in a mess on the floor.  That's when we realized we needed to install full length bed rails to keep him in bed and prevent him from falling and breaking a hip. 

When you choose a bed rail you'll want to make sure you get one appropriate for your parent, if your parent is very small you'll want to make sure that the bottom rail sits very close to the mattress so they don't slide under it and get stuck.  Ease of lowering the rail is very important as well.

If your parent just needs a little help and can get in and out of bed themselves they may just need an assist handle type bedrail.  These bedrails only provide a single stable area that your parent can slide past as they exit the bed, these bedrails remain in the upright position at all times and do not need to be lowered. 

If your parent is unsteady and needs assistance walking you would want to consider a full length bedrail that a caregiver would need to be present to lower, thus keeping your parent in the bed until their aide lowers the rail.  This is a good option if you don't want your parent getting out of bed unassisted. 

The good thing about bed rails that can be lowered is that they can be put completely out of the way, so installing it before your parent really needs it isn't a problem or a huge inconvenience to them.  

As we care for our aging parents we need to always think ahead for the next thing we can do to make their everyday lives easier.  Ask them about their challenges and find ways to keep them independent for as long as possible.