Device or some such for helping an elderly person get out of bed

November 10, 2024 3:42 PM

The person in question is a 74 year old woman, without much strength. Once up, they're able to walk ok, it's the getting out of and into bed that seems to be the problem. She would like to maintain some sort of independence, but not sure that's realistic.

Do you know of a device that will help her get in and out of bed independently that can be retro fitted to the current bed they have? Or is there a special kind of bed that does this? I'm specifically looking for recommendations or suggestion that you have used or know that someone has used. I could Google, but that won't tell one much. TIA.

posted by Brandon Blatcher to Health & Fitness (15 answers total)

Funnily enough, today I was visiting an elderly woman who uses this kind of stability pole at her bedside, to help her in and out of bed. It's installed directly up against the bed. If you scroll down in the pictures, it shows how it can be used with a bed.

(I'm not recommending this particular brand, but the one I saw looked just like this.) Google shows me there are lots of different types.
posted by BlahLaLa at 3:50 PM on November 10 [5 favorites]

I'd trust the recommendations from the EquipMeOT YouTube channel. Here's her favorite grab bar for this purpose. (It's the same thing BlahLaLa linked above).
posted by hovey at 4:12 PM on November 10 [3 favorites]

Sounds like a standard use case for a Hoyer lift. She would need assistance, though.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:28 PM on November 10

You might consider having her sleep in a reclining chair. I took care of someone after they had open heart surgery and they could not use their arms to lift their body. The electric reclining chair has control buttons that allow the person to go from a prone position to standing with minimal use of arms to lift the body and stabilizes the body so they don't fall or shift while sleeping. The one we had was installed with different electronic outlets like usb ports so you could attach additional assistance devices to the chair.
posted by effluvia at 4:51 PM on November 10

Best answer: I'm the same age. She should consider getting help from a physical therapist for exercises to increase her mobility and flexibility. An occupational therapist might offer some suggestions too. How high is her bed? When she sits on the edge of the bed do her feet touch the floor? If they do she should be able to stand but her mattress might be too soft. Can she stand up from a hard chair- like a kitchen chair- without using her hands? If she's able to walk easily she should be able to do more.
posted by mareli at 5:02 PM on November 10 [11 favorites]

Best answer: Would adjusting the height of the bed help? Stairs next to it?
posted by aincandenza at 5:05 PM on November 10 [1 favorite]

My mom has something like this. I guess the question is does she need something to get her up (so a lift of some sort) or does she need help getting herself up, in which case any of the sort of grab bars or rails might be of use. She absolutely needs to make sure her bed is low enough that her feet touch the floor when she sits on the side of the bed.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 5:36 PM on November 10 [2 favorites]

Best answer: This link explains the difference between physical and occupational therapy. I know it was very fuzzy in my mind until I had THR (total hip replacement) of my right hip. I mention this just for clarity, I'm not saying that any of the above suggestions are inappropriate.
posted by forthright at 5:41 PM on November 10 [1 favorite]

Best answer: A height adjustable bed made all the difference for my father.
posted by Mitheral at 5:53 PM on November 10 [1 favorite]

Best answer: You should have an occupational therapist make a home visit to check everything out and make specific recommendations for adaptations. They are the experts on this stuff. It may be covered by insurance but if not this is probably worth paying cash for as you will likely save money over trying things that end up not working.
posted by Jacqueline at 6:14 PM on November 10 [11 favorites]

Best answer: Nthing a short, single visit with a physical therapist, who will be able to show her techniques that might enable her to get up without the assistance of any new equipment.
posted by intermod at 9:01 PM on November 10 [1 favorite]

Best answer: n-thing people saying that both physical & occupational therapy can be very helpful in this situation. Re: physical therapy, it is amazing how much strength people in this age range - and even 10 & 20 years older - can regain if they work at it the right way.

But also, a hospital-type adjustable bed - where the feet can raise and so can the head of the bed - has proven to be very helpful for my elderly parents. It gives them just enough help sitting up etc. Example (not a specific recommendation for that bed or brand, but it is worth pointing out that, as that specific example shows, the price on these has dropped astronomically in the past 30 years or so - an OK frame can be had for a few hundred dollars whereas 30 years ago it would have been many thousands).
posted by flug at 9:35 PM on November 10 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Yes to occupational therapist, that will make a HUGE difference in her quality of life.

When my grandma was recovering 3 months out from breaking her dominant hip and shoulder, we ended up getting one of these ropes to pull herself up as a backup if she wasn't able to do it (but with the continuation of physical and occupational therapy she didn't need it for long).
posted by Eyelash at 4:06 AM on November 11 [3 favorites]

Best answer: N-thing you need a home visit by an OT (not a PT). Not only do OTs understand all the physical challenges (they are as well-trained in anatomy and physiology as PTs), using aids to help/increase function and independence are exactly what they're trained in, and they'll probably have a list of vendors as well. Where I am in Canada, a 90-minute home visit from an OT cost $300 Cdn, so about $200 US, but I have no idea if costs would be similar. If you've got an OT visiting, that's also the time to ask about aids to independence in using the toilet, bathing, dressing, preparing food, and using transportation, if those things are problematic.

I'm not much younger than the person in question and was coping with a spinal injury, surgery, and then a broken hip. Some sort of grab bar(s) will help (again, get the OT's recommendation on what type) and an adjustable bed, where the head of the bed can be raised so she's not having to get out of bed from a completely flat surface. Same when returning to bed. If you want to MeMail me, I can tell you the brand I bought and the features I looked for (don't want to clog everyone's feeds with ads from this vendor).

BTW, independence in getting in and out of bed is huge. There are few things more humiliating than needing someone's help to get out of bed to use the toilet.
posted by angiep at 11:10 AM on November 11

Best answer: the PCP can order an adjustable hospital bed (and home OT) if needed for safety and mobility.
posted by latkes at 12:01 PM on November 11