A hospital bed should ideally be more comfortable than a hotel bed, but we seldom use that reference! It’s not just about the morbidity that comes with mentioning a hospital bed, but also just as much about the fact that most hospitals do not have beds which are particularly comfortable. This is changing because it is finally being acknowledged as a shortcoming, but the changes should be made at a faster rate.
Patients in a hospital spend most of their time on their respective beds, so it only makes perfect sense for the management to make them as comfortable and suitable for the patients as possible. And not offering the best care can easily get a personal injury lawyer involved. Next, we are going to discuss a few quick ways to make any hospital bed more comfortable, without having to spend a fortune on new beds right away.
Choose Comfortable Bedding Which is Designed for Hospital Beds
Instead of opting for cheaper linen, opt for specialized, hospital bedding because it is designed to be comfortable and last a lot longer. For example, look online for bed options that relieve pressure, drain moisture away from bedridden patients, and make their skin feel soft and comfortable against the bedding. For patients suffering from any kind of incontinence, such products are just as cost-effective for the hospital, as they are essential for the patients’ wellbeing.
Give them the Option to Add a Mattress Topper
Too many hospital beds are firmer than they should be, which causes more problems than the hospital management may realize. Rather than changing the mattress out from each hospital bed, it is much more cost-effective to invest in high-quality mattress toppers.
This should provide hospitals with the ability to add more softness instantly to any bed if a patient finds their bed to be too firm for comfort. Patients who must spend a lot of time on the bed every day due to their current condition will appreciate the extra pressure relief and better blood circulation.
Adjustable Overbed Tables Can Make a Big Difference
Overbed tables have been around for decades now, and most hospitals already have them. However, they are not as functional as they should be, since most of these are just simple wood or plastic tables without any adjustability to them. As to why this adjustability is important for overbed tables, we have highlighted a couple of key points next for better explanation:
- Not all patients are of the same height and, in the case of patients who are not in a position to move too much, an overbed table’s fixed size can be very uncomfortable while eating
- For busy patients who are not injured/ill enough to need constant sleep, but can’t move about too much either, an adjustable overbed table can act as a laptop table for them
It is time to change the perception of viewing hospitals as places of pain and suffering, rather than a place of healing. Since most patients spend a majority of their time on the bed, that’s always a good place to start.
