TempurPedic

[Bestfriends14]

Ugh, back in the ER for another pulmonary embolism. Coincidentally, earlier today I was looking at beds that can raise the feet or the head portion of the body. I settled on an oscillating, pressure points, head and foot raising temper pedic. I'm hoping this will keep the embolisms at bay for good, plus be comfy for him as his body atrophys further. Does anyone have feedback on this type of mattress for those with ALS? I know the foot raising and oscillating features should help with circulation, but not too sure about any other positives.

Thanks in advance

 

[KarenNWendyn]

My only experience with memory foam mattresses has been in hotels, inns, and vacation rentals. They are super comfy but I found they made it much harder to turn and move about in the bed. Maybe the oscillating function will circumvent this. One also tends to sleep hotter with them.

 

[Bestfriends14]

It has a cooling feature in it which sounds like it may be necessary. Glad to know it's comfy. I've slept one and loved it, but hope it's good for atrophy.

 

[lgelb]

My reservation about the Tempur-Pedic would be that without a hospital bed frame, you can't tilt the whole bed, which can be helpful for using a urinal and varying pressure/encouraging circulation. Also, does your frame raise/lower in height, as you will need to do for using a Hoyer lift?

Not everyone can tolerate/benefit from oscillation, so that is not something I would bundle with the mattress. You can buy an overlay with that feature later on if needed.

Memory foam does tend to sleep hot and humid, not the best thing for skin with immobility since you have a risk of pressure injuries. That is why you see hospital bed mattresses being made out of medical grade foam, denser and less plush, which is also much easier to use, even with an overlay, with slip sheets as you may need to use to adjust position/perform pivot turns.

All in all, not sure I see the point of the Tempur-Pedic long-term in ALS. I would just get a hospital bed, medical grade foam mattress, and latex or other overlay.

Best,
Laurie

 

[ReginaS]

The Tempur-Pedics I looked at would not have worked with a hoyer lift. There was no room to push the legs of the lift under the bed which would have been necessary for us.

 

[Bestfriends14]

I forgot about the base and a Hoyer lift. What space does one need between bottom.of base and floor in order to fit the legs of a Hoyer? He doesn't need one yet, but of course down the road he will.

 

[ReginaS]

The base of the hoyer is quite long. Guess is 3 feet? This needs to fit under the bed so that you can place the sling.

 

[Bestfriends14]

I'll measure that tomorrow. Good point that I forgot to consider. I think the height of the Hoyer lift legs are not too high so I'll look more for fit for length

 

[KimT]

Just my two cents. Before my DX I bought an adjustable bed (I had a neck injury and GERD.) I tried the most expensive memory foam mattresses on the market but all of them made my nose stuff up with their chemicals and smell. I even ordered one from Germany that the company swore did not have an odor. Thankfully, it came with a 120-day refund. I didn't even completely remove it from the carton because the smell knocked me out.

When you go to a mattress store, you're seeing mattresses that have already off-gassed. Might not be a big deal for you or your PALS now but I don't want my breathing further compromised by chemicals.

When I get my next bed and mattress it will be a hospital bed and I'll have to figure out what type of mattress and topper suits my needs.

The mattress I settled on was rubber core with organic cotton covering. I had to get a doctor's Rx to keep it free of flame retardants.

 

[debwilson77]

We have a temper-pedic and use a hoyer no problem.

 

[Bestfriends14]

Thanks all for your replies. We went back to the mattress store and did another once over and I think that it's a good fit. Wayne is comfy, it raises and lowers, the head and foot raise and lower and there's a pad of cooling gel on the mattress top. A Hoyer lift can fit no problem under the bed, too. Hopefully it doesn't become too soft for him, as it's a firm, but if that happens, it's easy to put a topper on it.

Thanks again. I'm just glad there's something for Wayne to hopefully help with circulation.

 

[affected]

It pays to check, ask others, then double check for sure. Only you and Wayne can really say if it works for you as so many of us have different experiences with different bed mattress combinations. What one of us swears by is a no go for another. Frustrating, but still it's great to hear what each found to be pros and cons I think to help really thinks your own needs through.
Do let us know how it goes though as it all builds to our collective knowledge base

 

[Bestfriends14]

An update on how Wayne likes the Tempur Pedic.

Wayne loves the Tempur Pedic, as do I. It is firm enough to support his body, yet still soft enough to hug his atrophying muscles. If we need an overlay for him down the road, it is easy to get one and put it over the mattress. It is two XL Twin beds pushed together to make a King size bed. That way, in the future, the beds can be sightly pulled apart so I can help him on either side of the bed. The bed also has cooling gel (it stays nice and cool), a raise lower function, and a foot and head raise/lower function. He loves it and sleeps really well on it and, for the first time in years, does not snore much at all. It was a great purchase for us and something PALs may consider when shopping for a bed. It may not be for everyone, but has worked well for us so far.

 

[affected]

I'm so glad this has worked out so well - sleep is so important! I hope you are both finding your days are a little better because you are getting better sleep

 

[lgelb]

Thanks for the update --glad it is working for Wayne.