When to get hospital bed

My mom has progressive bulbar palsy. She has to use walker to get around and we have had to get her a lift chair. She can not hold her head up when moving around. She still insist on being as independent as she can. She still sleeps on a regular bed but is now having trouble getting up out of bed. We have discussed that it may be a good time to now get a hospital bed, but she keeps fighting it. Any suggestions on how to convince her that she needs to go on with the hospital bed, or any other devices that anyone has found helpful?

I can only tell you my husband loves his adjustable bed! It's a Tempurpedic that was given to us by a former member of this forum. It adjusts from head to toe and vibrates. My husband is thankful for it, as he cannot breathe when he lies flat and needs his upper body to be elevated. He likes that the bed elevates his legs and feet, when they are feeling painful (due to falls and bruising).

Maybe she doesn't want the "hospital bed" look. Y'all could dress it up so it's not so "hospitally."

My hopital bed has been a god send. Being able to change positions myself and raise the head makes breathing possible.

AL.

I'm so comfortable in my bed--innerspring mattress--and like Al, need the raised head for breathing. Like your mom, I lost ability to hold up my head, but unknown to me, I also began curving in the wheelchair until my spine sort of cemented itself into a sideways "C". After a period of messing with neck braces, I realized the entire spine was very weak, and unable to be stabilized in the chair. Now the hospital bed is where I spend all but an hour (which is actually miserable after the first half hour) up in the chair for dinner. While in bed my husband and all caregivers began stretching me until now I can stay in alignment in bed. If your mom begins to look increasingly out of alignment (look at her shoulders), best begin fixing what will become very painful.

The fact that you are asking the question probably means that your mother needs a hospital bed. My husband resisted the hospital bed, but I had a regular size hospital bed with a gel mattress delivered anyway. Within two nights, he loved it. The few times we travelled last fall, I had to put so many pillows under him, it was ridiculous! He now has the low air flow mattress and the fully adjustable oversized bed. The size of the bed makes it easier for me to roll him over, and I can lie down beside him if I place him farther over to one side.

Thanks for all the responses, after a rough day yesterday I think she is now ready for bed. It has been getting harder every day for her to get out. Yesterday while at home by herself, she slipped out of chair. After an hour she had pushed her Life Alert. My sister and I was able to get her up, but she was worn out. She was so thirsty last night, she tries to put a little liquid in mouth with a little syringe but she got to coughing so bad and then she had to suction her mouth. I feel so helpless with all of this. She also is having reflux so bad, the medicine she was taking for this is just not working good anymore. I think we are going to bring up hospice so we can get some support from them. After all she is going thru she still will write down how she is worried about us. She has been so strong and her faith is so strong. I admire and love this woman so much.