5 Reasons to Use a Low Hospital Bed

When it's time to purchase new hospital beds for your facility, consider a low hospital bed. Specifically designed with patient safety and comfort in mind and recommended by leading health care groups, low hospital beds can be a valuable component of your hospital's fall prevention strategies.

Here are 5 reasons why your facility should use low hospital beds:

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1. Low hospital beds reduce patient fall injuries

Patient falls are the largest category of reported incidents in hospitals and account for approximately 70-80% of all inpatient incidents, and a reported 22% of these falls are from the bed. Statistically speaking, all hospital units will experience an inpatient fall at some point in time.

Low hospital beds help reduce patient fall injuries by lowering the patient’s resting position to as low as 10” from the ground. A low resting height can reduce fall impact and can help prevent serious injuries such as hip fractures and brain injuries. Fall injury risk is significantly reduced at a safe and comfortable resting position, which can also increase patient confidence and mobility.

2. Low hospital beds make it easier for patients to enter and exit the bed

 A traditional hospital bed’s lowest height can be upwards of 20”, which can make it difficult for patients to enter and exit the bed. A fully adjustable low hospital bed can lower to an appropriate height for patients to safely enter and exit without needing to climb or jump onto the bed. The ideal low hospital bed is specifically designed for patients to be able to sit at the side of the bed with their feet planted on the floor to safely enter or exit the bed.

3. Low hospital beds are recommended by leading health care groups

Low hospital beds have been recommended for use by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the VA National Center for Patient Safety, and The Joint Commission, amongst other leading health care groups.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has included patient falls as one of 10 Hospital-Acquired Conditions that can be reasonably prevented by following evidence-based guideline resources. The CMS’ own evidence-based guideline recommends that hospital facilities first assess patients for fall risk and then utilize low hospital beds that achieve a low height between 8-10”. The CMS also cites the example of one large health care system using low hospital beds, successfully reducing the facility’s patient fall rate by 9%.

The VA National Center for Patient Safety has recognized low hospital beds as an integral component in creating a “safe room” for veterans and has identified low hospital beds as a top strategy for reducing inpatient fall injuries.

The Joint Commission’s 2012 Hospital Accreditation Standards now requires hospitals to assess patient fall risk and to implement strategies to reduce falls based on the assessment. Low hospital beds were previously recommended in a Joint Commission Sentinel Event Alert as a risk reduction strategy for patients at-risk for falls.

For more information, visit U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, United States Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Patient Safety, and The Joint Commission Sentinel Event Alert.

4. Low hospital beds are safer for medicated patients

The use of medication may cause dizziness and disorientation, which can increase a patient’s risk of falling from bed. A medicated patient may become confused and unaware of his surroundings, which can lead to an attempt to exit the bed without nurse assistance. A lower bed height can minimize fall injury and create a safer environment for patients who are prone to wandering or exiting the bed unassisted. The ideal low hospital bed for any acute care facility is equipped with an integrated multi-zone bed-exit alarm, which can alert nurses to bed-exit activity to intercept wandering or falls and create an even safer patient environment.

5. Low hospital beds are safer for elderly patients

As baby boomers continue to age and enter the prime demographic for chronic disease, hospitals will experience an influx of senior patients. By 2030, it is estimated that patients over the age of 65 will make up 51% of admissions and 59% of all occupied hospital beds. In acute care facilities, it is estimated that 1 in 5 elderly patients will fall during their stay. For this reason, the safety of elderly patients should be a top priority for health care professionals.

Elderly patients often experience mobility problems and cognitive disorders, which have been identified as leading risk factors for patient falls. The low resting height of low hospital beds creates a safer environment for elderly patients who may have difficulty exiting the bed or who may be experiencing memory loss or confusion. 

For information on the CHG Spirit Select, the lowest acute care hospital bed on the market, visit www.chgbeds.com.


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• 5 More Reasons to Use a Low Hospital Bed

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CHG Hospital Beds specializes in low hospital beds that are designed to prevent patient falls and related injuries within acute care environments. We are focused on patient and nurse safety and deliver innovative solutions to meet the needs of our customers.