Simple tools can make the life of seniors much safer and easier. Despite their reduced strength and mobility, they can continue to live independently or with minimal support if these tools are installed around the house. Bed rails for seniors are particularly important. These are typically made of metal with horizontal and vertical bars. They placed at one or both sides of a bed using a hidden anchor under the mattress. All of them will rise above the bed by several inches. Some may extend all the way down to the floor. These bed rails can perform the following functions for the users:
Prevent Accidental Falls
The main objective of these bed rails is to prevent the person sleeping on the bed from rolling over to the edges. We are not conscious while sleeping so anything can happen. In fact, even children can fall from their beds. The difference is that kids tend to have an excellent ability to bounce back from injuries whereas seniors suffer worse from such falls. Even at such a short height, their fragile bones can break and muscles can bruise. Head injuries can be particularly difficult to deal with. All of these can be easily avoided with protective rails.
Provide Ample Support
Sitting on a bed and standing up from it may seem trivial for a young and healthy person but this can be difficult if you have mobility issues. Many seniors walk with canes because they can barely stand upright. They may even need higher toilet seats as well. As for their beds, the rails can provide support while they try to shift their position. These can often accommodate weights between 250 pounds and 400 pounds which should be good enough for most people. Those that come with legs are able to handle more downward pressure so get rails with this design if durability is a concern.
Offer Convenient Features
Most of these bed rails for seniors are simple metal bars welded together. They are used for their mechanical properties and nothing more. They have fixed designs that are simple yet effective. Others aspire to be more with adjustable handles that can go down so that they don’t get in the way if a person isn’t sleeping. They can be moved back up before a person goes to sleep. Some can be equipped with storage pockets for ease of access to commonly used items. They can even have night lights for reading.
