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By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
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Lineaekk, seems like today's mattresses are so high compared to mattresses from a couple of decades ago. Even I have trouble trying to climb into bed, made me wish I kept my old mattress.
Now, is your Dad sliding off because the edges of the mattress have worn to a point where they are no longer stiff? My parent's mattress was like that.
I think it is an excellent idea to have your Dad's primary doctor write a script for some type of physical therapy to help Dad learn a new way of getting into bed, I believe Medicare would pay for the therapy. Then that way you can tell if Dad needs a hospital bed, which can be lowered, or if he can now be able to use his current bed.
We had gotten one of those bed in a box mattresses and it was so soft that my mom just slid off. Every older person in my family was asked if it would be ok to cut off the bed legs a couple of inches and this helped also. At least they would have further to fall. Make sure the sheets are not satiny - some cotton sateen sheets caused my mom to slide off also. The metal handles that you can buy which slip under the mattress have helped. I took the boxspring off and attached the handle directly to the slats and she has not slid off bed lately. My experience with elderly family members with dementia is that they seem to never remember what the therapist said to do, so not sure if it would help but it's worth a try.
I don't know if these are available outside of health care facilities, but the staff switched my father's alternating pressure pad to one with high sides after he fell out and onto the floor. It was something like a small canoe, i.e., with sides that rose vertically. The sides weren't very high; I'm not sure if they really made much of a difference.
Are the falls primarily getting INTO bed, and not just sliding off? If so, then an OT observation would be an excellent idea. Perhaps he's not sitting down far enough into the bed to be able to stay on it.
Are you using any of the protection pads, about 2.5' x 2.5'? They might help.
Another option is to put a bar or two , in the shape of a giant upside down U, to block his fall. But with this, you run the risk of his head getting in between the bars and possibly being injured.
I had that issue with hubby. Also one if those high mattresses. I got a bed rail that the base of which slid between the box spring and mattress. (Amazon) it was solid and he could brace himself on that while I slid his feet onto the bed.
When Mom was in her apartment she had a very thick mattress and box spring up on a frame. One night she slid off getting onto the bed and cut her leg badly on a metal brace on the frame. Which caused weeks of going to the wound doctor. We removed the frame entirely and put the box spring and mattress right on the floor. It was perfect height for her to sit easily. And one less place for her cat to hide.
My mother slid out of her bed. We put a folding mattress bed board between her box spring and mattress. Big Improvement. The bed rail that Ahmijoy describes serves a similar purpose by placing a stiff board under the mattress, and also provides a hand support to pull yourself into a sitting position. My husband loved it. And the friend I loaned it to after she had a stroke said she didn't know how she would have gotten in and out without it. This is an example very like the one we used: parentgiving.com/shop/home-bed-assist-rail-and-bed-board-combo-5960/p/
I just checked amazon and there were 399 results for bed assist rails... lots of different styles and prices to choose from. There are also low profile box springs available to bring the height of the bed lower without spending big $$ on a completely new bed.
hospice brought my dad one of those canoe type mattresses, it sort of reminds me of what those half pipes look like for snow boarding at the Olympics - especially since it is white, you could imagine little show boarders sailing down it It has not been foolproof, but much better than before where my dad was either falling or climbing out of bed nightly
My DW slid off once and we (she & I) could not get her up. I had to call the non -emergency number for help. After that I build her a step to help her reach the floor and installed one of the inverted "U" shaped rails. No more slips. The step is 4& one quarter inches high. width and length to fit. She is 4ft 10inches tall.
My mom was falling at least once a week by sliding off the bed, either getting in, getting out, or just sitting up on the edge of it to drink water. It was absolutely because the bed was too high (mattress and box spring). We had an OT come in and check things out. The OT recommended a bed rail for the short term, suggested a lower bed in addition to that, but thought we should really just get a hospital bed because she'd need it before too long.
So we went ahead and got the hospital bed. It can be raised or lowered electronically. It can also be raised or lowered at the top or at the knees. A lower regular bed probably would have been just as good, but the hospital bed is a free loan (we're in Canada) now that mom qualifies for palliative benefits. She hasn't had any sliding-off-the-bed falls since we got it. (The bed rails attached to the hospital bed are also helpful in giving her something to hang onto when she gets in or out....you can get a bed rail that just slides under a regular mattress, too.)
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
Now, is your Dad sliding off because the edges of the mattress have worn to a point where they are no longer stiff? My parent's mattress was like that.
I think it is an excellent idea to have your Dad's primary doctor write a script for some type of physical therapy to help Dad learn a new way of getting into bed, I believe Medicare would pay for the therapy. Then that way you can tell if Dad needs a hospital bed, which can be lowered, or if he can now be able to use his current bed.
My experience with elderly family members with dementia is that they seem to never remember what the therapist said to do, so not sure if it would help but it's worth a try.
Are the falls primarily getting INTO bed, and not just sliding off? If so, then an OT observation would be an excellent idea. Perhaps he's not sitting down far enough into the bed to be able to stay on it.
Are you using any of the protection pads, about 2.5' x 2.5'? They might help.
Another option is to put a bar or two , in the shape of a giant upside down U, to block his fall. But with this, you run the risk of his head getting in between the bars and possibly being injured.
After that I build her a step to help her reach the floor and installed one of the inverted "U" shaped rails. No more slips. The step is 4& one quarter inches high. width and length to fit. She is 4ft 10inches tall.
So we went ahead and got the hospital bed. It can be raised or lowered electronically. It can also be raised or lowered at the top or at the knees. A lower regular bed probably would have been just as good, but the hospital bed is a free loan (we're in Canada) now that mom qualifies for palliative benefits. She hasn't had any sliding-off-the-bed falls since we got it. (The bed rails attached to the hospital bed are also helpful in giving her something to hang onto when she gets in or out....you can get a bed rail that just slides under a regular mattress, too.)