Any caregiver would be naturally worried about their senior patients. What if they try to get up from the bed and fall as their getting up?
As people age, their sight, hearing, reflexes, and coordination weaken. Several conditions such as joint problems and diabetes (that causes other complications such as heart ailments) can worsen these declining physical changes. In addition, some certain medications or activities can cause dizziness and loss of balance. All these factors can give way to bad falls.
Accidental falls are one of the causes of death and injuries among older people. Although not all elderly people suffer dementia, most of them tend to acquire it. Alzheimer’s disease is probably the most common form of dementia, characterized by memory loss, decline of problem-solving skills, difficulty completing even the simplest tasks, and trouble with speech and communication, among others. These things can disrupt the daily lives not just of the senior patients, but also the daily lives of the people surrounding them.
Alzheimer’s disease patients also tend to have this alarming and dangerous behavior: wandering. Constant supervision on the elderly people and people suffering dementia is critical, but what if the caregivers are not there for their senior patients at the moment?
Fortunately, there are solutions that can alert caregivers to their patient’s needs. Bed pad alarm systems are one of these solutions. It works by way of pressure sensor pads. It detects a release of pressure if a senior patient is no longer in the bed. After detecting the release of pressure, it sends an alert to the caregiver, who might be in the next room or somewhere else. Once the caregiver receives this alert, he or she will come to their senior patient’s help.
The bed alarm pad itself is placed on the bed sheet and is connected to a machine which sends the alert to the caregiver.
Probably the greatest benefit that bed pads can give is peace of mind. You do not have to stay by your patient’s bedside all the time, or sleep with one eye open. You will be able to do other things such as watching TV, reading, or taking a well-deserved nap to recoup your energy. Once the alert is sent to your receiver, this is the time when you know your patient needs help.
The following are some of the best pads to prevent senior patients from falling and wandering, as well as to keep them safe in their own beds.
1. Bed Alarm System with Short-Term Pad
It is better to get a complete bed alarm system which has all the things you need to keep your senior patients safe from falling or wandering. It includes a bed pad and a bed alarm monitor. The bed alarm monitor features a reset button so that you can quickly silence the alert without turning it off, so the system is always ready for use.
2. Quick Alert Cordless Bed Alarm System
This bed alarm system eliminates cords between the alarm and the sensor pad, which allows for a peaceful environment without the noise which could have startled the patient. It uses three AA batteries (not included) to operate it wirelessly, but you can also turn it into a corded system by using the optional AC adapter (sold separately). If you decide to use the AC adapter as the system’s main source of power, it is recommended that you should use batteries as a back-up in case of power failure.
Made by Smart Caregiver, this bed pad is placed at the bed’s shoulder level to let the caregiver know that the patient is trying to sit up, or at the bed’s hip level to let them know that the patient is trying to get up. It should be used together with an alarm monitor (sold separately) to complete the bed alarm system.
Smart Caregiver makes a larger number of bed alarm pads including this bed pad which is ideal for larger patients. It should be used together with certain Smart Caregiver alarm monitor models (see link) to work as a functional and efficient bed alarm system.
5. Cordless/Wireless Bed Alarm System with Pager
This complete bed alarm system operates on batteries (not included) and includes a wireless bed alarm pad, a pager, a central alarm monitor and a protective page cover. Bed alarm pads are available in 10” x 30” and 20” x 30” sizes.
If you are looking for the right product to meet your caregiving needs, let Kerr Medical help you make the better decision. Contact Kerr Medical at 1-888-254-3444 and we would be glad to assist you.
