Get Mom In and Out of Bed Easier!
Photo of white bed in bedroom with bathroom door open by Unsplash.
Hey, fellow caregivers! Have you noticed how life gets so much harder when Mom and Dad struggle to get in and out of bed? It starts off giving them a little heave-ho to get out of bed and then transitions to needing more help every day with this problem.
I’ve heard things like, “When Dad is tired, he needs three of us to get out of bed.” Oh my goodness!
If you don’t live with your parents, then you’re not always there when they want to get out of bed, like if they need to go to the bathroom at night or watch 5 o’clock mass in the morning on TV.
That’s quite the logistics problem!
Mom and Dad need to get out of bed on their own so they can take care of themselves and more importantly in case of emergency, like a fire.
Plus when you’re helping them out of bed, you’re probably getting an unintentional workout for yourself. Let’s give your back, hips, and knees a rest, shall we? We don’t want to make everyday tasks hard. We want things to be as easy as possible to live at home for a lifetime! Today, we’re going to talk about five different types of equipment to get your loved ones in and out of bed.
So before making any changes to the bedroom, we need to implement a technique for moving in the bed called “log rolling”.
Log Rolling
Log rolling means you roll in and out of bed with your torso as one unit, like a log. Just imagine rolling log-style with your back as straight as you can! This is a great way to get in and out of bed for people with chronic back pain or who’ve had surgery, especially abdominal, heart, or back surgery.
When I was pregnant, log rolling made my life so much better because my abs weren’t exactly in commission! This technique is great for a wide range of health conditions!
You can teach Mom and Dad how to log roll very easily. Show them this video. Then while Mom’s lying flat on her back in bed, tell her to bend her knees with her feet flat on the bed. She’ll slowly roll onto her side keeping her knees bent. From side-lying, she’ll use her elbow underneath her and her other hand to push up from the bed while her feet come to the ground. Tada! Mom should be in a sitting position at the edge of the bed!
To get into bed, reverse the steps while whispering, “I am a log”. (Who said being silly didn’t help get Mom and Dad into bed?) Even if you still have to physically help, log rolling should lessen how much physical assistance you’re giving them.
Okay, time to change the bedroom to make getting in and out of bed easier with these five options:
1) Bed rail
Bed rails give you something to pull on while rolling to the side. When you’re sitting up, you push down on the bed rail to give you steadiness when sitting down and standing up.
Many of the bed rails go under the mattress and can attach to the bed frame to ensure it’s not moving anywhere. I recommend finding a bed rail with pockets for tissue, remotes, cell phones, and glasses. A lot of my clients absolutely love this type of bed rail!
(Just FYI, I’m an Amazon affiliate. If you buy any of these products, I get a teeny tiny commission.)
You don’t need to install a long bedrail that goes the entire length of the bed. Even a 26-inch length can help Mom and Dad be more independent!
The next device that makes getting in and out of bed easier is a little controversial because of how it looks . . .
2) Floor-to-ceiling Pole
It’s called a floor-to-ceiling pole, but it looks like a stripper pole. I’ve had so many clients laugh out loud when I show them a picture, “I bet my husband will love this!”
There’s a variety of floor-to-ceiling poles that are s-shaped or have d-shaped height-adjustable handles. The beauty of these babies is that you can put them anywhere in the house (i.e. bedroom, bathroom, living room, etc.).
Floor-to-ceiling poles won’t help so much when you need to move from a lying position to sitting up in bed. Think of these poles as more of a tool for standing. Put the floor-to-ceiling pole next to the bed for Dad to pull himself up from sitting to standing or to slowly sit down on the edge of the bed.
If your parents use this for anything else, you can’t blame me for their creativity!
3) Trapeze
This is not your fun, flying trapeze out of Cirque de Soleil! Trapezes are set up over the bed to help people go from lying down to sitting up or even rolling side to side in bed.
For me personally, I’ve never had good experiences with trapezes for older adults. Trapezes swing around and require a lot of arm and core strength and stability, which older adults lack. I mean, that’s why you’re reading this blog, right?
So I wouldn’t recommend going down this road unless your parent or grandparent is hell-bent on trying it out. Leave trapezes for the young folks who get hurt in motorcycle accidents. A trapeze for your loved ones is not going to work out well for you, my friend!
Trust me on this!
4) Sleep Simplified
Another way to make getting in and out of bed easier is the most unique I’ve seen. Sleep Simplified has an electric bed that takes your Mom from a lying position to a standing position!
What the what? Watch this video below to see what I mean.
A sleep-to-stand bed? That’s incredible! I also love that there are bedrails already attached to help with rolling from side to side.
Mom and Dad can use the control to move the bed or you can use the control to stand them up. Either way, less work for you! No workout for you! Life is instantly easier for you!
If your Mom or Dad has any conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure, or dysphagia, you can elevate the head of the bed to make it more comfortable for them to breathe while they sleep.
The Sleep Simplified bed can help people with progressive conditions like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, or multiple sclerosis. Over time, people with these conditions need more assistance with daily activities like getting in and out of bed. This bed is a good investment for long-term use.
You’ll get your money’s worth is all I’m saying!
To make sure this bed is a good fit for your Mom and Dad, schedule a free consultation with Sleep Simplified. They’re experts in making sure that this bed will keep your loved ones independent and safe getting out of bed.
The only word of caution to this bed is to avoid using it with someone who cannot follow directions or who is too weak to sit up in a chair without help. If your loved one is in this situation, they will slide out of the bed onto the floor. And you obviously don’t want that to happen! So make sure you do the free consultation before making any decisions!
Check out Sleep Simplified here for more information.
5) Use a Step Made for Getting In and Out of Bed!
Is Mom’s bed height too high for her to get in and out without a step?
I once worked with a client who used a CONCRETE block to get in and out of her tall bed. Please don’t let this be you! If it’s not meant to be a step, don’t use it as a step!
I also don’t recommend using any step at home, like a free-standing one from Wal-Mart, because the base is too narrow to safely keep your balance while getting in and out of bed.
Sometimes families can adjust the bed legs to make it shorter. But if that’s not an option for you, consider the Step2bed.
The Step2bed is a step with a handrail and a wide base for both feet to fit onto. It has a nonskid step that helps bare feet or socks grip to the step and a motion-sensor light for those nighttime bathroom trips.
If you’re considering this as an option for Mom or Dad, I encourage you to hire an occupational therapist to make sure this is the best fit! Sometimes Mom and Dad simply aren’t able to use a step like this for some reason or another. Involving an occupational therapist could make sure you’re making the right purchase!
Can you use a combination of this equipment?
Absolutely! You could use a bed rail to help Mom move from lying to sitting up and use the floor-to-ceiling pole to go from sitting to standing. The world is your oyster! If you’re unsure where to start, consider asking your primary care provider for a referral to see an occupational therapist (OT) to guide your decision making!
Do you know someone who has a hard time getting in and out of bed? Share this blog post with them! Have you tried any of this equipment? Tell us about your experience in the comments below! We love hearing what you do!
(Hey, did you know we have an awesome online course for people who have a hard time wiping after using the toilet? It’s an awkward topic that you can learn how to solve in the comfort and privacy of your own home! Learn more about the course HERE!)