Because of the mixed levels of care required, we advised that in order to provide the required flexibility for clients and cost efficiencies for the operators, BaKare Beds would provide mainly residential beds (height adjustable & profiling, but with no side rails / cot sides), including a number of low beds and some separate triple side rail kits suitable for deep cell air mattress usage.
No Side Rails?
This solution saved our client money, because typically in this scenario, a home would have purchased 24 beds complete with side rails. We ask, if falls from bed are not a risk for every user, why pay for side rails when they would be left in the lowered position? This also meant that the operators and users are exempt from concerns regarding conformance with BS EN 1970 Safe Use of Side Rails.
Risk of Falls
Where there was a risk of falls from bed, our client now benefits from using our low beds combined with our recommendation of using split assist rails. Lowering the bed to the floor significantly reduces the risk of injuries from a fall from bed.
Lowering the bed to the floor significantly reduces the risk of injuries from a fall from bed.
Many other suppliers provide low beds with full length side rails; however, if the user becomes distressed and climbs over the top of the full length side rails, the height of the fall is significant and this increases the risk of injury even if a crash mat is used.
Evolution 400 Bed shown with removable cot sides / side rails
Our recommendations for using head-end split / assist rails, means that should the user become distressed and attempt to exit the bed, the risk of injury would be greatly reduced through the use of split / assist rails. By using the top split / assist rails only, the user would likely exit the bed feet first through the foot-end of the bed. Using the top split / assist rails can also be used as a safety barrier so the user cannot roll out of bed, as illustrated below:
Deep Cell Air Mattresses
Where our client wishes to use air mattress overlays or deep cell air mattresses (e.g. where it is considered a risk of bed-sores) with typical depths of deep cell air mattresses IRO 7-9 inches, would mean that:
1. the user would now be at an increased height above the floor
2. standard height side rails could no longer be safely used (ref BS EN 1970 Safe Use of Side Rails)
