When you think of hospital bed rails, you typically think of the bed rails that pull up on both sides of the bed. As with many hospital items, there are a lot of different types of bed rails available to suit almost any purpose. Almost all styles of bed rails complete the typical hospital bed setup of bed, mattress and bed rails.

As you begin to gather bed rails information, you begin to find that there are many styles and finishes of bed rails available both for the hospital and home setting. As you make your decision regarding the purchase of bed rails, you must consider cost, as well as style. In most cases, you cannot do without bed rails. They serve the following purposes:

1. Bed rails give the patient easy access to remote controls and nurse calling buttons.

2. Give the patient something to grasp for support as he enters and leaves the bed.

3. In some instances, they allow the patient to turn himself without calling a nurse.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find bed rails that are half-length

This size of bed rail allows the patient easy access in and out of her bed, yet provides a convenient way for the patient to access electronic controls. Half rails work well with patients who are more self-sufficient in their care.

I recommend: Aria Medical Equipment is a half-length bed rails provider. Sherman Oaks Medical Supplies offers half-length bed rails as well.

Locate full-length bed rails

Choose full-length bed rails for patients who should not be out of bed unsupervised. Many of these rails come with a telescoping feature that allows you to adjust the length of the bed rails. Other types of full-length bed rails slide under the mattress and are a fixed length.

I recommend: Mobility Transfer Systems has a number of telescoping bed rails on its website. Elder Depot offers an extensive bed rails list. Some models are telescoping.

Select home-style bed rails

Home-style bed rails are the simplest type. They may come in full or half-length, but seldom do they come with the built-in remotes and call buttons you typically find on high-end full and half-length bed rails. Home-style bed rails work well for someone who is temporarily on bed rest and needs bed rails for support. They also work well with older adults who may get up and wander in the night, or younger sleepwalkers.

I recommend: PHC and Associates offer home-style bed rails to help make a regular bed safe for an invalid. You can find bed rails for home care patients offered by Name Brands Direct on its MedicalProductsDirect.com website.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Whichever type of bed rails you choose, make sure they're safe. No matter what a patient's size, he should not be in danger of getting his head caught between the rails. Many of the newer styles have the rails spaced closer together.
• •  Improper use of bed rails can cause serious injury. Make sure your patients don't try to climb over the bedrails when they are in the up position. Also, make sure the bed rails are tight enough against the side of the bed so that your patients can't slip out between the mattress and the bed rails.