Who can supply hospital bed for dementia patient at home?
If you're taking care of someone with dementia in your home, you might be preparing to invest in new furniture and assistive equipment to keep them safe and comfortable. It can be difficult to find appropriate furniture from high street stores because the additional needs of a person with dementia tend to demand specialist equipment. Let's take a look at who can supply hospital beds for dementia patients, what a suitable bed looks like and what funding is available to support people with dementia in the home.
What type of bed does a dementia patient need?
Dementia patients don't necessarily need a hospital bed. Hospital beds have a range of features designed to help patients safely get in and out of bed and help caregivers tend to their needs. Their height tends to be adjustable so that carers don't have to lean too far over and sustain back strain to administer care to the patient. The beds often have adjustable rails on the side that help to prevent patients from falling out of bed. The mattress base has jointed sections to allow the head or foot to be raised. This helps patients to sit up comfortably or to raise their legs to aid circulation.
Hospital beds tend to be most useful to dementia patients when they have mobility problems. It may be unnecessary to use them in instances where a patient is physically healthy and mobile. Instead, a heavy-duty bed or bed for challenging environments may be a better option. These are designed to be highly durable and easy to maintain.
Sometimes patients with dementia can become confused and this can lead to aggressive behaviour. A heavy-duty bed is strong enough to hold up against harsh impacts. Waterproof divan bases and mattresses can also be useful for dementia patients to make clean-up easy in the event of spills or incontinence.
Product: Warwick Adjustable Bed
What is a care home bed and is it suitable for a dementia patient?
Care home beds are designed specifically for use in residential homes for the elderly and people with disabilities. They're robust, long-wearing and easy to maintain, with features like waterproof covers and solid divan bases. They're also what's known as 'contract beds' which means they adhere to UK and EU legislation regarding fire hazards.
Contract beds have passed testing to ensure they're safe for use in commercial environments like residential homes. You don't need to buy a contract bed for use in a domestic property, but doing so can give you peace of mind that the bed is of suitable quality for a professional, commercial environment.
A care home bed could be a great choice for a patient with dementia to use in a domestic home. These tend to be much sturdier and more durable than typical domestic beds so you can rest assured the bed won't easily break or get damaged. It's important to note that care home beds don't typically have adjustable features like hospital or medical beds do. However, they tend to be much more affordable as a result.
Who can supply hospital beds for dementia patients at home?
When a dementia patient needs a hospital bed with adjustable height and mattress profiling, it may be possible to apply for one from your local authority. The local authority will conduct a needs assessment and develop a care plan for the individual. However, such funding is relatively limited and tends to cover the supply of small assistive items such as portable alarms. Sometimes it covers items like grab rails, stair lifts and ramps to help people with mobility issues move around their homes more safely.
Hospital and medical beds tend to be provided by the NHS to people at home only when they have a physical medical need for them and usually on a temporary basis until a permanent bed is acquired or until the patient is rehabilitated if recovering from an injury.
If you have a family member with dementia who has been told they have a medical need specifically for a hospital bed, talk to your GP, district nurse or occupational therapist about your eligibility. It can take some time to receive a bed and generally you'll be supplied with one rather than being able to pick one out. If you're not eligible for one from your local authority you'll have to buy and fund the bed yourself.
Product: Heavy Duty Divan Base
Are there grants available for assistive equipment?
If you're looking to buy a bed for a dementia patient, you might be able to get financial support by applying for a grant. These are provided by grant-giving trusts and charities and are typically means-tested, so you'll need to provide evidence of your financial situation. Grants are typically a one-off sum and don't have to be repaid. Keep in mind that any grants or funds you receive could be considered income. This means that if you're awarded a grant it might affect your ability to claim the government benefits that you're usually entitled to. Check with the grant provider or with Citizen's Advice to find out if and how charity funding could impact your benefits.
Dementia patients who are registered disabled may be entitled to a bed that is eligible for UK VAT exemption relief. Only specific products are eligible so it's important to buy products that are labelled appropriately. After purchasing an eligible bed you can submit a VAT Exemption Relief Form to receive a refund of the bed's VAT.
Check out our range of care home beds
Here at Reinforced Beds, we specialise in providing high-quality, sturdy and safe beds for people with additional needs such as dementia or mental health issues. If you're wondering who can supply hospital beds for dementia patients, be sure to check out our range of heavy-duty beds, care home beds and challenging environment beds.
We offer free UK delivery and have finance available to help you fund the right bed for your home. We also have a range of beds that qualify for VAT exemption relief for those are registered disabled.