Title

Examining Bed Width As A Contributor To Risk Of Falls From Bed In Long-Term Care

Abstract

Falls pose a considerable problem in long-term care (LTC) facilities, increasing the risk of both morbidity and mortality among residents. While it is yet unclear whether all falls are preventable in this setting, many measures can be taken to curtail their incidence, including modifications to various environmental factors. Because a large number of falls in the LTC setting occur from beds, typically while residents reach for something by their bedside or reposition themselves on the mattress, -aor1 the authors conducted a small pilot laboratory study that examined whether the short mattress width of 35 inches, which is the bed size generally used in LTC facilities, is also a contributor to falls risk. They found that the risk of an elder falling from a 35-inch mattress is 51. They also found that this risk can be reduced by up to 36 when the mattress is changed to one with a 42-inch width. These data indicate that while more research is needed in this area, mattress width should be considered in falls prevention programs, especially if procurement of new bed systems is being contemplated.

Publication Date

6-1-2012

Publication Title

Annals of Long-Term Care

Volume

20

Issue

6

Number of Pages

35-38

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

Socpus ID

84872905341 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84872905341

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