5 More Reasons to Use a Low Hospital Bed

With patient safety concerns at an all-time high, it may be time to think about using low hospital beds in your facility. We’ve already shared 5 Reasons to Use a Low Hospital Bed, but here are 5 more: 

1. Low hospital beds are safer for patients having trouble getting in and out of bed

Patients recovering from surgery, or who may have poor mobility can often experience problems getting in and out of bed. Stitches, low mobility, or back pain can make getting out of bed a challenge, especially at the higher heights of some hospital beds. The average hospital bed has a low resting height ranging from 18-20” which can be too high for patients to safely enter or exit bed.

Low hospital beds can lower to 10” off the ground and allow patients to sit at the edge of the bed and place their feet on the floor to ease entering and exiting the bed. When using a low hospital bed, patients recovering from surgery can safely exit at a comfortable height.

2. Low hospital beds can save you money

The average health care cost of a patient fall injury is approximately $24,962 and is no longer covered under Medicaid or Medicare. It is now the hospital’s responsibility to cover the cost of an inpatient fall. Considering that the average hospital experiences 5.1 falls per 1000 patient days, the cost of patient falls can add up over time. Low hospital beds are a recommended strategy to reduce patient falls and save hospitals money, with some hospitals reporting a 9% decrease in falls within 5 months after introducing low beds.

Not only can low hospital beds save hospitals money by reducing falls, but many high-end beds are equipped with integrated bed-exit alarms that can replace costly around-the-clock bed sitters. Integrated bed-exit alarms detect patient movement in the bed and alert nurses to fall-risk activity.

3. Low hospital beds allow patients to be more self-sufficient

The low resting position of low hospital beds can increase your patients’ self-sufficiency by making it easier for patients to enter and exit the bed by themselves. Low hospital beds are also fully adjustable, so patients can position themselves comfortably without the help of staff. Making it easier for patients to complete tasks on their own reduces strain on nurses, not only time-wise but ergonomically by reducing repetitive patient lifting.

Patients, especially those identified as fall-risk, benefit from higher self-confidence that stems from self-sufficiency, which can also help to reduce the risk of falls.

4. Low hospital beds can be used in different patient environments 

Though low hospital beds are often recommended as part of a hospital’s fall prevention strategy for use with patients who are at a high risk of falls, they can also be used as a “regular” hospital bed. Low hospital beds like the CHG Spirit Select are equipped with the necessary functions of hospital beds and in some cases, exceed the features of regular hospital beds with integrated bed-exit alarms, built-in smart scales, and other patient safety features.

Many hospitals choose to rent a low hospital bed when there’s a need for fall prevention measures instead of keeping them on hand. Instead of only using low hospital beds in times of need, the beds can be used as a regular hospital bed for any patient. Multi-purposing hospital beds can save time, headaches, and money for your hospital by reducing rental fees and increasing the capabilities of your fleet. 

5. Low hospital beds support the work of Falls Committees and Patient Safety Teams

Low hospital beds can help hospitals meet National Patient Safety Goals. Reducing the risk of patient falls has been identified as one of the nation’s top priorities in patient safety by The Joint Commission. Hospitals can meet this goal by using low hospital beds, which minimize the risk of falls and help patients feel secure.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the VA National Center for Patient Safety have recommended low hospital beds as an important element of a hospital’s fall prevention strategies. Falls Committees and Patient Safety Teams who adopt low hospital beds as a strategy to reduce patient injury and falls see a considerable improvement in patient safety over time.

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

Related posts:

• 5 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.