Hospital beds are engineered primarily for patient safety, infection control, and adjustability. This design often sacrifices the plush comfort of a typical home mattress for medical necessity. However, a prolonged stay demands a restful environment. By understanding available resources and making practical adjustments, patients can transform the clinical setting into a more comfortable space. These strategies focus on optimizing the bed’s existing features and introducing approved accessories.
Improving the Support Surface
The underlying mattress is the foundation of comfort, but the standard hospital surface is often firm due to its design for durability and hygiene. For patients spending extended time in bed, the hospital may provide specialized support surfaces to improve pressure distribution. These alternatives include pressure-redistributing overlays, which are placed directly on top of the existing mattress.
Gel pads and foam toppers are common examples that distribute body weight more evenly and provide cushioning. Alternating air mattresses are another option that dynamically changes pressure points by cyclically inflating and deflating air cells. This active pressure change helps ensure continual blood flow to the skin, which prevents skin breakdown. Always consult with the nursing staff before adding any personal items or accessories to the bed to ensure they do not interfere with medical equipment.
Strategic Use of Accessories and Positioning
Maximizing the bed’s mechanical functions is an effective way to increase comfort and relieve localized pressure. Hospital beds allow the head, knees, and feet sections to be raised or lowered independently, helping achieve neutral body alignment. Raising the head of the bed to a semi-reclined position, such as the 30-degree Semi-Fowler’s position, can alleviate strain on the lower back and improve breathing. Using the knee-bend function reduces the downward pull, or shear force, on the skin when the head is elevated.
Strategic placement of pillows further enhances proper body alignment and support. A cervical pillow helps maintain the natural curvature of the neck and spine, reducing pain. Placing a pillow under the knees while lying on your back prevents the legs from fully extending, taking pressure off the lower back. Patients lying on their side can use a pillow between the knees and under the arm to relieve pressure on bony prominences like the hips and shoulders. Wedge pillows can also be used to support specific body areas or maintain a safe side-lying position, such as the 30-degree lateral position.
Managing Skin Comfort and Pressure Points
Prolonged immobility increases the risk of pressure injuries, which compromise comfort and healing. Pressure ulcers develop when continuous pressure on bony areas restricts blood flow to the skin and underlying tissue. The most effective preventative measure is frequent repositioning, ideally every two hours, even for small shifts in body weight.
Careful attention to skin hygiene is necessary to maintain skin integrity. Keeping the skin clean and dry is important because moisture from perspiration or incontinence makes the skin more susceptible to breakdown. To move the body in bed, caregivers should use slide sheets rather than dragging the patient, which minimizes the damaging effects of friction and shear against the sheets. Patients should also ensure their heels are completely offloaded, using a support device or pillow to distribute the weight along the calf, as the heel is highly vulnerable to pressure damage.
Optimizing the Bedding and Immediate Microclimate
The quality of the textile layers directly contacting the skin impacts comfort and helps regulate the immediate microclimate around the body. Rough or wrinkled linens can cause skin irritation and increase friction, so ask the staff to ensure sheets are smooth and taut. Some clinical guidelines recommend using silk or silk-like linens over traditional cotton because they have a lower friction coefficient and quicker drying times.
The bed’s microclimate, which includes the temperature and humidity between the skin and the support surface, plays a direct role in skin health. Using breathable, moisture-wicking sheets and layering blankets allows for individual temperature control, preventing overheating and excessive perspiration. Some specialized support surfaces offer low air loss technology to actively circulate air, managing the heat and humidity of the skin. Controlling ambient noise and light near the bedside also supports a restful environment.