Possible bed rail help

Ste_07

My grandfather has dementia and it's progressing. My grandmother is looking to buy a bed rail for the house, preferably the bed rails they use in hospital settings. My grandmother ordered a hospital bed a few months ago, but unfortunately, my grandfather was confused pulling out the wires and trying to break free from the two bed rails that were put up, feeling constricted. He needs bed rails that are stable, easy to remember to move up and down so he can get out and use the restroom if he forgets to call my grandmother to do so. He needs the bed rails to help with his sleeping habits as well. He doesn’t quite understand how to position himself to sleep properly and sleeps with his legs off the bed. In addition to this. The bed rails will also help prevent further falls out of bed. Furthermore, because of his disease, he has become a destructive individual, manly because he is confused. Saying this, finding a possible solution has become difficult, especially one where he can't take out the bed rails or destruct them. If anyone has any suggestions on where to get such aid from your help would be greatly appreciated.

harshedbuzz

Hi Ste 07-

Welcome. I am sorry for your reason to be here but happy you found our group.

You raise a controversial subject. In most states, restraints for PWD are illegal. Bed rails are considered restraints. There's also the idea that more people are badly injured when using restraints than falling out of bed. This is why you will not find the sort of restraint you want for an adult.

If your goal is to keep a PWD who is not physically oriented to the bed properly from falling to the floor, the safest option is to put his mattress directly on the floor or lower it as far as possible and lay a "crash pad" along side it. At a certain point in his dementia, my dad seemed to forget how to lay in bad properly and would sort of dangle parts off the side-- it's a common thing.

If the goal is to keep him from wandering at night, you could either see a specialist about an appropriate sleep medication or arrange for overnight care.

Good luck. I hope you find a solution that works for you.

HB

Treasa

https://www.amazon.com/Vive-Compact-Bed-Rail-Silver/dp/B07NWWWKNJ/ref=asc_df_B07NWWWKNJ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=507663052233&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17516892931538662149&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1015195&hvtargid=pla-1252283123036&psc=1

I have something like this for my Mom, it allows her to pull herself up, helps a little bit to keep her from rolling off bed, but doesn't make her feel confined.

zauberflote

Hi Ste07 and welcome!

My MIL slept appropriately oriented in the bed, but had very compromised circulation in her legs, so would dangle them off the side of the bed while lying on her side to sleep. The in-home caregivers would slip them back up, snd 5 minutes later off they'd go again. She also had a bedrail of the sort you put on a child's first bed. I think she managed to get a leg stuck in it once, and I don't actually remember what happened after that-- the rail may have been replaced with a mesh-lined ckntraption, again, as you might see on a small child's bed. 

As far as a rail that's "easy to remember to move up and down", you are at the mercy of his brain there. If he's already broken some things, that might mean that the concept of raise/lower has departed his brain, sadly. 

There are various motion-sensor alarms to be had, including some that are silent at the bed, (so as not to cause sudden cardiac arrest lol), but send the signal over the home wifi network to wherever the caregiver is. Do your grandparents have wifi? This could possibly alert your g'ma to the fact that hubby has left the bed/sat up/whatever type of motion the device is made to detect.

In my mom's last few weeks, the staff at her MC took bolster-type pillows and put them under the bottom sheet of her twin bed's outside edge, to help her not roll out. Her toileting habits were of the adult-diaper variety by that point. This strategy worked for her as she was very petite anyway, very frail, and very old. 

Hope you find something to help!

Kibbee

Our experience with a bed rail was as Harshed Buzz describes.  DH couldn’t really grasp the concept that it was there for his safety.  He still attempted to get out of the bed, and ended up caught between the bed and the bed rail.  Dangerous.  After that I removed the bed rail entirely.  I also tried putting the mattress on the floor, but it was very difficult for DH to get in and out, and changing sheets / making the bed was really a pain.  So his bed is back up on its frame and we have no bed rail.  DH still occasionally sits on the side of the bed and then slides to the floor but this is happening much less frequently than in the past.  Perhaps his interest in walking is declining.

jfkoc

We used what Treasa linked. My husband tried to climb over the hospital bed rails!

Ste_07

Thank you to everyone who replied. I appreciate the responses. I now understand that bed rails are a restraint and I apologize. My main concern with my grandfather is his safety. For those that suggested a bed rail, unfortunately, they're too short and won't prevent my grandfather from having his legs off the bed while he sleeps and won't prevent him from falling out of the bed and injuring himself.