How Do We Find The Right Adjustable Bed For Customers With Movement Disorders?

Choosing a new mattress isn’t easy. Trust us, we know. It’s why we recommend that customers put aside a 60-minute consultation to complete a mattress fitting with us when they’re thinking of getting a new one.

But for some people, buying a new mattress can be even more challenging. Like people with movement disorders.

Parkinson’s, scoliosis, spina bifida, weight related illness, and arthritis are just some of the conditions that can affect the way a person moves through the world, and even their ability to sleep. This also of course extends to quadriplegia and paraplegia.

Individuals with mobility disorders may have difficulty getting in and out of bed, moving around in bed, and may spend more time in bed. All of this must be taken into account when selecting a mattress and adjustable base.

At Life Changing Beds, we are experts in helping clients with movement disorders find the best mattress for their individual needs.

And though every customer is unique, there are a few key things we can do to give them their best night’s sleep yet.

Enabling easier transfers with Hi-Lo

Those who struggle with movement can have difficulty with their ability to safely get in and out of bed, and we want to alleviate as much of that risk as possible. We can do so with the use of the Hi-Lo function that many of our adjustable bases come with.

It allows the user to adjust the height of the bed with their remote, from a low position to the ground for entry to a high position for exiting.

Using the Hi-Lo function of an adjustable base is a great way to take strain off the body, particularly the lower back. The bed can be raised and lowered to do the work for you, making your entries and exits easier and safer.

Hi-Lo not only helps the person using the bed, but also assists carers who may be tending to them. By raising the bed up to a desired height, it prevents the carers from having to bend over and strain their bodies as well. This will make cleaning underneath and around the bed simpler as well.

We recently had a client come to our showroom whose needs had rapidly changed with an illness diagnosis which resulted in them requiring a new seating height which their old bed would not permit.

Fortunately, we were able to offer the client a Hi-Lo system with ultra-low function which could adapt to their ever-changing needs including profiling requirements. Our mattress sleep surfaces are designed to suit the needs of our client as well as the specifications of Hi-Lo electric adjustable beds working in tandem to support the sleeper safely.

Check the pressure

Pressure mapping is one of the most valuable tools in our arsenal when it comes to finding the right adjustable bed or mattress. But it’s also a unique tool. Life Changing Beds are the only Australian providers to offer the Reveal by Xsensor pressure mapping system.

But what exactly is it?

This pressure mapping system is a non invasive, easy-to-use tool that enables us to measure exactly how your body responds to a mattress in real time. This enables us to test exactly how well a mattress is suited to your body and needs with credible, clear, unbiased data.

This information is so valuable in helping us find the best possible mattress and adjustable bed for all our customers, but is especially useful when conducting a mattress fitting for a person with a movement or mobility disorder.

People with these conditions may have to spend more time in bed than the average person, so it’s especially important that the mattress is serving their needs. The pressure mapping tool allows us to identify pressure points, which over time could cause issues such as bed sores, and adjust our mattress recommendation accordingly.

The best part? All of this information is available in a simple, easy way.

Pressure mapping is completely safe. There are no risks associated with the tool and anyone of any size or ability can benefit from pressure mapping.

In order to use it, we simply place it on top of the mattress, and customers lie on top as they would when they sleep. The hyper sensitive technology within the sheet reacts to the pressure of your body.

We can then view the readings via a connected tablet device. All of our staff are trained to analyse and interpret the results, and explain what they mean.

This also prevents you going home with the wrong mattress, one that doesn’t suit your needs, which can exacerbate existing issues and create additional challenges.

This simple but effective step in a mattress fitting enables us to offer greater insights into your body’s needs, provide clinical justification for our recommendations, and ensure that your mattress is completely tailored to your specific needs for the best sleep possible.

Try different positions

Someone with limited mobility or a movement disorder may spend more time in bed, so it’s important that we replicate the various positions that an individual may find themselves in.

For example, if a customer spends a lot of time in bed reading, it’s important to simulate their favourite reading position. They may sit up in bed to eat, watch TV or knit. Whatever it is they spend their time in bed doing we take into consideration.

In this situation, an adjustable bed base is the perfect choice, giving the sleeper the freedom to change up their position to their mood.

For those customers who are unable to move themselves into the bed or mattress, we do have a manual hoist in our showroom. The flexibility of our pressure mapping technology makes this process a breeze.

Try firm edge guards

Being comfortable in bed is one thing. But getting out is another.

Movement disorders can make moving around in bed, and getting out again, incredibly difficult. This becomes even more important when the client must move from a bed to a wheelchair and vice versa.

For these individuals, the answer is a firm edge guard.

The edge of a mattress with a firm edge guard does not compress when it bears weight. This provides the individual with more support and makes getting in and out of bed so much easier.

This extra support around the edges of the mattress also reduces the risks of rolling or falling off the mattress during the night.

Firm edge guards are also excellent for older customers whose mobility and strength may be more limited than it once was.

Make rolling over easier

People with movement disorders may find turning over or moving around in bed particularly difficult.

For these individuals the best option is one of our signature Natural Soy mattresses. Designed by our own Andrew Cain. These mattresses are made from a pressure-activated fast recovery foam, meaning it returns to its shape quickly. In fact, it’s basically instantaneous.

This provides the sleeper with an almost flat surface, which is much easier to get on and off, and move across. The unique construction of our soy mattresses makes them incredibly supportive in the right places, with enough give at your pressure points.

If you live with a movement disorder, we can help you find the mattress and bed of your dreams. Give us a call on 03 90414765 or book a consultation today to discuss our range of mattresses and beds, and how they can change your life. We have a ramp access, and handrails installed at our entrance with a friendly staff member here, ready to help.