any advice on hospital bed mattress causing/contributing to migration and delirium
Hello community,
My father is at home and started with hospice about a month and a half ago. they immediately provided a hospital bed,which looks to be almost a hundred years old- like something out of an asylum. I only recently tried it out myself and it made me feel so sad and angry that my dad has been sleeping in it for over a month. they provided a topper that you plug in and it moves and is supposed to prevent bed sores- some sort of inflatable contraption. But when i lay down on that it felt horrible. My dad is incontinent now and late stage dementia.
the bed seemed to be causing delirium for him ( i see why now - it felt like a torture device when i tried to lie down in it ). Also, every night he is extremely restless and sometimes inverts himself or gets himself sideways in the bed.
i asked the hospice nurse to get rid of the topper. she did, but left nothing for him to prevent bed sores, and suggested nothing. The mattress itself is like one big lump/slab. So i have been frantically searching online for answers. I found a replacement mattress that is memory foam and has an edge to it that goes up 3 inches all around that is supposed to keep people with dementia from migrating around the bed. when he constantly moves to try and get comfortable and safe, he does not sleep, and my mom can't sleep. she is his primary caregiver. I wish hospice would take this more seriously, but they act like they have no funding and can only provide the cheapest of everything or - nothing. Does anyone have advice on mattresses/ solutions? The hospital bed mattress I'm looking at as a possible replacement for is called ProHeal Multi-Tiered Foam Hospital Raised-Rail Bed Mattress
thank you so much!
Answers
-
forgot to include he sleeps 14-18 hours a day now and is up and somewhat active for the other hours.
0 -
Unfortunately, if you want better quality, you will have to pay for it yourself. Medicare may contribute if there are already sores but, if there are not, my understanding is you have to pay out of pocket. That's what I did. I purchased an alternating air mattress to hopefully help prevent issues.
Were the sleep issues present prior to the change in bed and mattress or only after? Is there any medication that may allow your father to have a more restful night? I recommend looking into that as that may be what will help. Are they addressing this issue?
1 -
My DH is in a nursing home, on hospice, and they gave him an air mattress. My DH can no longer walk but doesn't remember that. He would maneuver himself so that he slid off the bed and landed on his butt on the floor. It was happening several times a week.
I spoke to the Director of Nursing and she switched him to a foam mattress with wings. He has not slid off the bed since then, which is about 3 weeks. They are keeping an eye on his skin integrity. I haven't had to pay for the mattress. I'm not sure if the nursing home just had it or medicare has it covered.
1 -
If this hospice is not providing the care needed, consider having a couple of other hospice services assess him. They are not all the same.
2 -
thank you so much. i've been trying for months to get my mom to switch hospices. it's too stressful for her. I really tried.
1 -
thank you so much. yes this is the type of mattress that showed up when i researched his issues. I feel hospice needs to provide it but the nurse is saying they can't. I don't want to escalate this with hospice, as that may delay his comfort and health, so the family will have to purchase it , it looks like
0 -
sorry, to hear, that is tough. glad he is doing better. thank you so much for responding
0 -
no they were not this pronounced. i researched and found that those kind of air mattresses that you can plug in can be extremely terrifying for some people with dementia. they can also be painful. yes he is being treated for agitation. he has not had the delirium since we got rid of the air mattress. thank you so much for responding.
0 -
Glad to hear the delirium stopped. Everyone reacts differently. The alternating air mattress is working well for us. It's subtle movement, and I tried it out to ensure it is comfortable. I can't speak for all the different types, but the one we have is good.
I wish you the best of luck and second the suggestion to change hospice. Perhaps, you can speak to some other hospice companies on the phone to narrow it down so your mother doesn't need to deal with it.
0 -
can i ask please is your DH thin? my LO is quite thin . are you able to say the brand of mattress they ended up providing? I read that the one with the 3 inch foam sides can be too hard (not soft) for thin people. I don't know if that's permitted (saying what type of mattress) on this site, but i'm very overwhelmed and it feels like hospice doesn't care at all about this. thanks so much
0 -
My DH is average weight. He says his new mattress is comfortable. I will look tomorrow to see if it has a label on it.
0 -
Look up a Geo mattress with wings. It is supplied through medical supply companies. I think this is what my DH has. I bet hospice can get it for you. Contact your hospice social worker.
0 -
it is a Panacea foam mattress with raised perimeters. The aide told me that DH almost got out of bed today so it is not foolproof.
0
Commonly Used Abbreviations
DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
Read more
Categories
- All Categories
- 696 Living With Alzheimer's or Dementia
- 401 I Am Living With Alzheimer's or Other Dementia
- 295 I Am Living With Younger Onset Alzheimer's
- 19K Supporting Someone Living with Dementia
- 5.9K I Am a Caregiver (General Topics)
- 9.3K Caring For a Spouse or Partner
- 3.4K Caring for a Parent
- 247 Caring Long Distance
- 205 Supporting Those Who Have Lost Someone
- 13 Discusiones en Español
- 1 Vivir con Alzheimer u Otra Demencia
- 1 Vivo con Alzheimer u Otra Demencia
- Vivo con Alzheimer de Inicio Más Joven
- 12 Prestación de Cuidado
- 3 Soy Cuidador (Temas Generales)
- 8 Cuidar de un Padre
- 23 ALZConnected Resources
- View Discussions For People Living with Dementia
- View Discussions for Caregivers
- Discusiones en Español
- Browse All Discussions
- Dementia Resources
- 8 Account Assistance
- 15 Help