Hospital Bed

Hospital Beds in Hospitals: How They Differ from Home Use

By kelingmedical

The hospital beds are very different from the ones for inpatient use, which are meant to be used for inpatient. The hospital bed is part of the hospital and can be comforting, as well as function for the specific needs of very ill patients. In this article, we’ll see what hospital bed is like and home bed is like; what is the difference between the two, and what’s great about each?

What Are Hospital Beds?
Hospital beds are medical beds used in hospitals, clinics, and any healthcare facility. They’re designed for the most diverse patient population, such as a person who has mobility issues, a chronic disease, or a patient who has recently undergone surgery. These beds are much more moveable and customizable than home beds and offer positions flexibility and ease of use for parents.

Hospital beds might seem the same from a distance but the design, characteristics and features differ drastically depending on whether you use it in a hospital or your home.

What Are the Main Differences Between Hospital Beds for Hospitals and Home Use?
Adjustability and Functionality

Hospital Beds:
Hospital beds are so sophisticated that there is so much flexibility to adapt them to patients with extreme illnesses. These beds are height adjustable, head and foot-supportable, and sometimes with several motors to get the job done. Hospital beds often include a tilt feature so that the bed can be raised up or down to position the upper or lower body during treatment or rest.

Home Care Beds:
There can be some adjustability in home use hospital beds, but they’re less sophisticated than hospital beds. A majority of home care beds can be easily adjusted by hand or semi-automatically, even a simple move such as raising the bed’s head or foot. Full electric beds in the home are more mobile, but generally don’t come with the same types of positioning options as hospital beds.

Weight Capacity

Hospital Beds:
The hospital beds are in hospitals and they are geared to accept patients of all body shapes and physiologies. They tend to be heavier so that they can fit heavier or more specialized patients. Hospital beds can house patients from 350 pounds up to 1,000 lbs or more for the bariatric patient.

Home Care Beds:
The weight capacity of home use hospital beds tends to be less: up to 350 lbs. For people larger than this, home bariatric hospital beds can be acquired, but these are usually more specialised and more expensive. They have these beds to help them support and keep their patients safe.

Safety Features

Hospital Beds:
Patient safety is one of the first considerations for hospital beds. The beds at a hospital usually have side rails for fall prevention, especially for the unconscious or sedated patient or anyone on the cusp of a fall. These side rails are height adjustable or can be taken out altogether based on the patient’s state and safety requirements.

Home Care Beds:
Even home hospital beds may have side rails, though they’re less strong than hospitals beds. Also, home care beds are smaller and simpler with the side rails. Rails on home-use beds are either not necessary or you can buy them separately. It is for the caregivers and loved ones to take into account the danger of falling, and to decide whether they require other safety precautions (padded side rails or fall mats).

Mobility and Transportability

Hospital Beds:
Most hospital beds come with heavy duty casters so that they are easy to roll about in a hospital. The beds are constructed to last and are built to take constant moving, shifting and patient motion. Even some hospital beds are made to be easily carried from room to room in an institution with locking wheels to give you some stability.

Home Care Beds:
Other home care beds might be rolled around to make them more mobile, but most of them are not built for the same amount of constant movement or heavy-duty transport. The vast majority of home beds are either to remain in one place or be adjustable so they don’t have to be moved often. But the home hospital beds that are for homecare might have the removable parts to be stored and moved around.

Cost and Accessibility

Hospital Beds:
They’re expensive hospital beds with advanced features and design, which are durable. Such beds are either leased or rented to hospitals, and so the cost is distributed among many patients. There are also teams of people that repair these beds in hospitals.

Home Care Beds:
The home use hospital beds are usually cheaper, but still the cost will vary with the features, weight capacity and adjustable. It can be expensive to buy in the first place but insurance companies typically pay for it, especially for those with a chronic disease or who’ve recently undergone surgery. Home hospital beds also usually require less maintenance which makes them more convenient for families.

Technology and Monitoring

Hospital Beds:
For patients, bed systems are usually combined with high tech medical equipment in the hospital. These can be things like vital-sign monitoring, beds that can change position as a patient moves, or systems with built-in monitoring to notify caregivers when a patient’s position or state of being changes. The beds in hospitals are also home to other equipment — IV poles, oxygen, and monitors.

Home Care Beds:
Beds in the hospital that you use at home don’t tend to have hospital beds level of monitoring. But they can even come with, say, a battery backup, to keep the bed working in case the power goes out. Any patients who need higher-level monitoring or specialized equipment will have to order other devices and accessories separately.

Conclusion
It is mainly the adjustability, safety, weight capacity and technology of the hospital beds in the hospital and the ones that are manufactured for home use that differs between hospital beds and those for home use. Hospital beds are made for emergency care, precision positioning, and long-term medical use, but home care hospital beds are built for comfort, ease of use, and security in a more affordable package.

With home hospital bed, the patient’s condition, mobility and safety needs should be considered. For hospitals, a bed frame needs to be designed for the versatility, toughness and advanced features required for a multitude of medical treatments and surgeries. Learn about these differences and you’ll be in a position to make an educated decision and ensure that you select the appropriate bed for hospital or home care.