Nobody will wish for the demise of their close relative. But sometimes, we must just swallow the bitter pill of a loved one leaving us anytime soon because they are suffering from a terminal disease.
During this time of distress, the best we can do for a relative who is at the last moment of their life is to ensure that they have the best support, treatment, and comfort they can get.
Hospice care is a medical service that provides this extra treatment and support to terminally ill patients.
Asides from the close monitoring these patients undergo, they are placed in specialized beds to ensure that they are very comfortable. But is a Hospice bed different from a hospital bed?
This helpful article compares Hospice beds vs Hospital beds to offer insight as to the possible difference (if any) between these two-bed types.
Table of Contents
- What is a Hospice bed?
- What is the different between a Hospice bed vs Hospital bed
- What weight is a Hospice bed?
- How long is a Hospice bed?
- Who uses a Hospice bed?
- How do hospice beds work?
- Hospice Hospital bed size?
- What does a Hospice bed look like?
- How much do Hospice room and board cost?
- How do you get a Hospice bed?
- How to make a Hospice bed more comfortable?
- What are the benefits of Hospice beds?
- Is a Hospice bed the same as a hospital bed?
What is a Hospice bed?
A hospice bed is a type of bed used by people or patients receiving Hospice care services. These type of beds are usually designed to be adjustable to support the condition of whoever find themselves receiving such medical service.
What is the different between a Hospice bed vs Hospital bed
First of all, you need to know that hospital beds are the major bed types you will find in most hospice homes. Which means a hospital bed is the same as a hospice bed.
What weight is a Hospice bed?
As I said earlier, you will mostly find hospital beds in hospice homes, and the weight of the bed you will see in this care home is 154 lbs which is the typical weight of a standard hospital bed.
How long is a Hospice bed?
The width of a typical hospice bed is 36″, while the length is 88″.
Who uses a Hospice bed?
A hospice patient with an incurable disease uses a hospice bed. After a close examination of their condition, the doctor has declared that they can only live for 6 months or less if the illness should go in line with its natural course.
How do hospice beds work?
Hospice beds are hospital beds and therefore are operated just like the standard hospital bed. But in most cases, the fully electronic hospital bed is commonly found in Hospice houses as users of Hospice services are usually too weak for manual operations.
Hospice Hospital bed size?
Just like in many hospitals, you will find twin-size beds in most hospice homes, and these kinds of beds can be lowered or raised at the head and foot sections.
What does a Hospice bed look like?
In most cases, what you will see being used in a Hospice setting is a hospital bed. And therefore, the features you will find in most hospice beds are adjustable side rails, adjustable head and foot sections that can be lowered or elevated, as well as adjustable heights. In some hospice homes, you can also find profiling beds.
How much do Hospice room and board cost?
The average cost of Hospice room and board is $150 for daily routine home care and about $500 for daily inpatient care. However, you should know that this depends on certain factors like your insurance plan (medicare or private insurance), the kind of service needed, and the condition under which the service is provided.
How do you get a Hospice bed?
1. Evaluate the diagnosis
Before anyone can be put under hospice care or bed, such a person must have a life expectancy of 6 months or less. It is a treatment often recommended to people who have cancer, heart disease, kidney failure, and so on. So if perhaps you have just been diagnosed with any of the ailments mentioned above, but you have more than 6 months to live, you may not qualify for hospice treatment.
2. Check for signs
Before you request Hospice care or a bed for a loved one, ensure that they’ve shown any of these signs.
- Such a person has been diagnosed with a serious, life-limiting disease.
- Repeated ER sessions
- Increased falls
- Mental ability issues
- Additional hospital admission
- Frequent skin tears and infections.
- Unintentional progressive weight loss
- Difficulty getting dressed
- Walking problem.
- Contact your doctor
Ask your doctor for information regarding your health. If, after discussing with them, they feel you must be placed under Hospice care, they may refer you to any Hospice center close to you.
3. Get a referral
Your Hospice referral may be anybody; it can be a physician, doctor, family member, friend, or neighbor.
After going through these processes, you will be assigned a bed.
How to make a Hospice bed more comfortable?
One way to make Hospice beds more comfortable is by making their sheets and blankets as smooth as possible. Most patients in Hospice centers suffer from hypersensitive skin, which means slight rumbling of the blanket or sheets can cause them to be uncomfortable.
Choose soft fabrics for their beddings to ensure their comfort and also make sure their blankets are of different weights. Heavy blankets will be suitable for them during cold weather, while soft blankets will be ideal for hot weather.
What are the benefits of Hospice beds?
- Hospice beds provide patients with comfort, thereby increasing their chances of survival.
- Most Hospice beds are fully motorized, which gives patients a level of independence.
Is a Hospice bed the same as a hospital bed?
Yes, a Hospice bed is the same as a hospital bed. Most Hospice centers use hospital beds, so the kind of bed you will find in Hospice settings is the type you will also find in hospitals. So they are the same.