While it is not a factor many people consider when it comes to aging, the older you get, the more important bed height is. This is for a lot of reasons, but primarily it is to prevent the chance for falls.
The older you get, the more likely it is that falls can cause more serious injuries.
Once you are over the age of 65 it is very likely that a bad fall can lead to hospitalization and lead into further issues. This gets even more serious over the age of 80 when there is a significantly higher chance that falls can even be fatal.
A common cause for falls for elderly people is poor bedtime routines which can make mistakes more common and these can often lead to falls. One of the most common causes of bedtime falls is an incorrect bed height.
This can be a bed being too high or a bed being too low, both of which can cause accidents (but too low tends to cause more on average).
So controlling the height of an elderly person’s bed is a great safety measure to make to lower the chances of falling and the further injuries that can come from this. For the answers you are looking for read on!
What Is The Best Bed Height For And Older Person?
For a straightforward answer, the best bed height for an older person is somewhere between 20 and 23 inches. This is measuring from the floor to the top of the mattress.
This is the height which makes preventing accidents as easy as possible as well as getting into bed from a wheelchair as simple as possible. While this height is the best go to, there are more specific bed heights that you can use based on a specific person.
For example, you can base the perfect bed height for someone off of their height. A persons’a height will affect how high their natural sitting position is, and this is what the height of the bed should be.
There is no formula for working this out, simply test the height at which the person you are adjusting the bed for can easily sit down with both feet on the floor and without having to strain themselves.
As well as putting the bed in the safest position, you want to ensure the person you are helping is still in a comfortable position and is not being made uncomfortable by any changes being made.
While there is no formula for getting the perfect height for each person there are some tips which should be followed!
Guide For Working Out The Best Bed Height For Older People
The best guideline to follow is to compare the height of the bed to the knee height of the person who will be using the bed. The best ratio for this is to have the mattress around 2 inches above the height of the knee.
When measuring this make sure that the person who you are using for height reference has their feet perfectly flat on the floor to get an accurate measurement.
It is also worth noting that the best height will make it so when sitting on the bed, the user has their feet flat on the floor, and they have their hips aligned to their knees. You want to make it so sitting up, leaning forward and getting out of bed is as easy as possible.
Information About Higher Beds For The Elderly
Some people will recommend for beds for older people to be higher than it will make them easier for accessibility. While it makes getting out of bed easier, it makes the task of getting in bed slightly more difficult.
You can tell that the bed is too high for the user if there is significant pressure on thighs or buttocks when sitting on the mattress. It is also a sign of this is the senior needs to raise themselves to get into the bed like having to go onto their toes.
It is also a sign of an excessively high bed if feet hang off of the edge of the bed and that knees are not aligned to the hips when sitting.
Having the bed of an older person in a higher position has the advantages of making it easier to get out of bed. It also has the typical benefits of extra storage space and making cleaning underneath more simple.
However, there are clear disadvantages like an increased chance of injury if the user falls out of bed as there is simply a higher distance. Higher beds also take up more room and if you have are working with a small space it can quickly begin to feel cramped.
Information About Lower Beds For The Elderly
If the person you are helping set up their bed has a history of falling out of bed and injuring themselves it is often recommended to set the bed at a lower height.
This is usually recommended for people with dementia or similar conditions, however for people who do not face these issues this is usually not recommended.
You can tell a bed is too low if the user falls into the sitting position instead of a more controlled movement. It is also not recommended if the user has to use their hands to push themselves out of bed. It is also bad if the senior will completely miss the bed because it is too low.
A lower bed does prevent the chance of some muscle straining and sleeping close to the ground sometimes helps with a better night of sleep. However, a lower bed can increase the chances of falls and reduces storage space.
Takeaway
So now you know the reasons why a bed for older people should not be too high or low and how to pick the perfect height.
There are multiple methods for adjusting the height of your bed but make sure to be careful and keep the bed as stable as you can and do not hesitate to get professional help when attempting a job like this.