Father in SNF on PEG tube and incontinent. The only independence he had left was to get himself in and out of bed into his wheelchair. He would use the only bedrail (12 inches positioned vertically) to help in this transfer. Now there is nothing stationary that he can grasp for support. I know bed rails cannot be used for restraint and that they are sometimes a problem with seniors getting caught in them and risk of suffocation. But is there really a new 2016 ordinance that says they all need to be removed? Now my father is bed bound unless he calls for assistance (which he will not do) when he wants to get out of bed.
Wife still needed help cleaning herself after she finished her business , I had no problem with helping her wipe and wash.
Sorry for the extra posts. I corrected a spelling error.
Is there a state or federal regulation prohibiting
bed rails and/or fall mats in an assisted living residence?
Answer
There are no state regs in assisted living prohibiting bed rails however in my experience I would not consider them best practice to use them. The reason that they are not safe lies with the risk they present to the resident falling out of bed, being tangled in their sheets/bed rails and the possibility of strangulation. Many facilities may have a policy against bed rails. So in that case the state could write a deficiency for the facility not following their own policy (if the state were to find bed rails in use).
The alternative would be to have the resident use a bed cane and obtain an order from the primary care physician for occupational therapy. The resident can then learn how to use the bed cane safely and efficiently with the goal to maintain as much independence for that resident as possible. The state would be pleased to see that action taken, aside from the fact that it is making the resident's home safer for them.
Fall mats are okay, but whatever assistive devices are in use in the community MUST be care planned for that specific resident and you must have documented training on those devices for your staff.
"cradle" to keep her from rolling out, or a cradlelike wheel chair, or wheel chair with a light velcro belt with an alarm. In Mom's mental state, she would definitely have tried to climb over the rails and hurt herself.
Read it as close to what you wish/want then show the NH how you 'see' it - they'd have to go to court to get another ruling [slow as molasses in Jan] to prove you are wrong - worth a try
The government tracked the number of deaths over about 30 years attributed to "bedrails" which makes people get on the political bandwagon to ban them. However - how could anyone measure the number of injuries/deaths that were avoided due to their use during that same time period? Much of the bad press is deservedly due to the flimsy/unsafe "bedrails" sold on the internet. There are guidelines for true hospital beds related to the "seven zones of entrapment" but there are no real safety rules for homecare use. I have done a lot of research on this- there are good designs (and terrible ones) and I would be glad to discuss if people want greater detail.
It can become tricky, because my Dad was becoming more of a fall risk. With the bed rail he would try to get up and fall.... without the bed rail he would also try to get up and fall. There were less falls with the rail so he was able to keep it on his bed.
Staff just couldn't get Dad to use his pendant alarm if he needed help to the bathroom. He just didn't want to bother anyone.
There can not be more than 3 short bed rails on a bed in a facility.
If the bed rails go the full length of the bed that is considered a restraint.
They can use 1 long one or short ones and wedges.
It is not a matter of suffocating it is "restraining" someone within the bed.
I think the type you are talking about should be permitted.
I think it might be worth it to ask to see how the code is written and how they are interpreting the code.
(Anytime someone says there is a code and it somehow effects you you have every right to see that code and how it is written.)
And I am sure that you can get a Doctor's order that would over ride the interpretation they have.
In terms of casualties-per-person using (and benefiting from) a bedrail, though, accidents have been vanishingly rare (thank goodness); and when you go on to read the details of a particular incident the cause of the accident is not usually the bed rail per se. The cause is usually somebody, or several people, doing something monumentally stupid and dangerous; such as continuing to use a bed rail that is faulty and requires maintenance; or using a bed rail that doesn't properly fit the bed it's attached to, so that there is a head-sized gap between the bottom edge and the mattress.
Since you can't cure stupid, some authorities have chosen to cure bed rails instead. I find it frustrating. Competent, responsible professionals in the care services industry must find it absolutely maddening.
Good luck and keep us posted...
I really suggest that if you think this matters to your dad, that you make some time to help him make the point to the nursing home. I've worked in direct care support for years, and helping a person continue to do whatever it is they can, is a major part of motivation that helps them keep going as strong as they can - and with dignity, not always lying there waiting for busy help to come.