Adjustable bed vs hospital bed

[annlee]

I have continued "putting off" purchasing a hospital bed because I just don't want to ruin the cozy feel of my bedroom. It's my favorite reading place and my last "holdout". I know that sounds ridiculous. Losing walking, driving, and working and most of my hobbies was easier than "giving up" my bedroom. I am to the point that I really need to have something that helps sit me up. I have not been able to move around in bed for close to 3 years. My legs have no real function, arms mildly affected. I am PWC dependant. I am almost 5 years from first symptoms. My neuro team thinks I may be "in the game" for some time (another 4 years?) since breathing, eating, and speaking are still unaffected. I live independently. I am really wanting to get an adjustable bed. I have seen some where height adjustment options work well with my PWC. The thinking being it may work for me for a few more years. At what point do you see a hospital bed (vs adjustable bed) as a necessity? I'm thinking when I need a caregiver, NIV etc. Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[KimT]

I'd go straight for the hospital bed. Why? Because it might take some time to find the right combination of mattress/ overlays, pillows, etc.

I've had an adjustable bed for years simply because I had an auto accident and hurt my neck and also have GERD. If I hadn't invested in an expensive mattress and high end bed, I'd have a hospital bed. When I need one, I'll get one. I do have the use of my legs and can get in and out of bed, roll over, and walk from my bedroom to my bathroom.

 

[RKeller]

Hello im Rhett. I have Bulbar ALS. It first started with my speech. I can barely talk now. Then my legs started getting week and went from walking 3 miles a day to using a cane then a walker and now a wheelchair all in one year. Now I have a full time caregiver and a adjustable hospital bed. I highly recommend a hospital bed. Mine is height adjustable so my caregiver adjusted it to the right height for me to easily stand up and sit on the edge of the bed with the help of my caregiver. I'm able to stand up with her help. With her help and use of my walker I can stand and pivot to sit in my wheelchair. My bed adjust at the push of a button..I highly recommend getting a side bar which slides under the mattress and is U-shaped. It's a big help in grabbing to help sit up and roll over. Also the mattress that comes with it doesn't qualify as a mattress lol. More like plywood. I bought a expensive mattress to replace the plywood. I stayed in my room also. I hope this helps.

 

[Stevmil]

It's really interesting to read what others are going through here, not just with bed issues but with their mobility from bed. I have limb-onset ALS and while I am 5 years from symptom onset, i'm still able to roll out of bed with the aid of that u-shape bed rail mentioned above that slides under the mattress. And I can stand up though not easily and hobble carefully to the bathroom, so long as I have sturdy things to hold on to, dressers, doors, walker, etc. i find my nasal and phlegm issues are lessened with sitting up in bed so I spend a lot of my sack time propped up by pillows. So I am debating getting an adjustable bed as well. Great to see what other people have to say about this. One small item that really helps me get my legs back on to the bed is a leg lift loop, which I highly recommend getting if you don't already have one. It also helps me to adjust my mostly dead leg to get more confortable while I am laying down.

 

[lgelb]

I highly recommend getting a hospital bed with reverse Trendelenburg functionality, for more positioning options, including to reduce congestion and improve breathing. Basically, you want your bed to be more like your wheelchair.

You can get a hospital bed with no headboard/footboard wood panels at all. With the linens draped over the frame it looks like a regular bed if you want it to.

It can be just as cosy and more adaptable for reading as your current bed.

 

[annlee]

Thanks to everyone for your input and very helpful suggestions. It was news to me that you can have a hospital bed without the headboard and footboard. That would certainly help maintain a cozier feel. I will look into these suggestions. I really do need to get this done before I get any worse. Things change so quickly. Even slight changes make for much bigger challenges than they did in the first 4 years of this disease.