| Types of Hospital Beds and Their Uses31 July 2023
To accommodate a wide variety of patient and healthcare personnel needs, there are various types of hospital beds available. Including beds with an adjustable-height, profiling capabilities, higher weight capacities for bariatric patients, as well as a whole range of mobile options, there's sure to be a hospital bed that meets all of your requirements. With so much choice, it can be difficult to sort through the different types of hospital beds and their uses. If you're looking for clarity on what sort of bed you should choose to furnish your hospital ward or clinic, check out our top recommendations below.
Types of Hospital BedsHospital Beds can be categorised in a variety of ways, including by function or by design. A common way of classifying these beds is to group them by how they are powered, including 'electric', 'semi-electric', and 'manual' models available. The National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) categorises beds by use, separating them into the following categories:
While this is a simple and easy-to-understand way of categorising hospital beds, it is possible to further distinguish bed-type by function in order to make the right choice on what bed will best meet your needs. There are plenty of factors to consider before making this choice that go beyond its general usage, including the age and weight of the patient, what the patient's medical needs are, and what level of mobility the patient has. Hospital Ward BedsThe main purpose of hospital ward beds is to provide a comfortable and supportive surface for patients to lie down. While not designed for any specific procedures, these beds tend to be designed for versatile functioning to allow easy transfers, patient examinations and performance of simple medical procedures (such as ultrasounds). Our Choice: Sidhil Innov8 IQ Hospital Ward BedThe Sidhil Innov8 IQ Hospital Ward Bed is a highly versatile hospital bed that has been designed with a selection of handy features. While perfectly suited for use as a hospital ward bed, the multi-functional design makes this unit suitable for various procedures, as well as for transporting patients during emergencies.
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Hospital Profiling BedsProfiling beds are perfect for any patients that need help getting into and out of bed, whether due to impaired mobility or illness. The beds reduce the time taken to help these patients, minimises the risk of accidents when assisting patients, and decreases how much strength and effort is required for patient positioning. Our Low Profiling Bed Choice: Alterta Lomond Low Profiling Hospital BedTop-quality models like the Alerta Lomond Low Profiling Hospital Bed are constructed with electronic functioning for automated patient positioning. This bed is ideal for use in various clinical environments to support healthcare personnel with moving patients from seated-to-lying positions.
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Our Rotating Hospital Bed Choice: Alterta Lomond Rotating Electric Profiling Bed The Alterta Lomond Rotating Electric Profiling Bed is a fantastic choice for a rotating hospital bed that’s both high-quality and easy-to-use. This rotating bed is great for assisting patients between lying, seated, and standing positions.
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Bariatric Hospital BedsIt is important that clinical healthcare environments are prepared to accommodate bariatric patients, providing them a space to sit or lie down that is both comfortable and easily able to withstand a higher capacity than the average hospital-bed unit. Our Choice: Alterta Lomond Bariatric Low Profiling Hospital BedThere are a wide range of hospital beds available for bariatric patients, which are designed to remain both sturdy and supportive when used by patients who have obesity. The Alerta Lomond Bariatric Low Profiling Hospital Bed is a fantastic option for bariatric patients. This bed offers a cosy place to sleep, as well as easy transport and positioning of patients.
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Children's Hospital BedsTrips to the hospital can be scary for children, but they don’t have to be uncomfortable. With a paediatric hospital bed, you can be sure you’re offering little ones a comfortable place to sleep while under the care of a healthcare professional. Our Choice: Sidhil Bradshaw Junior Profiling BedThe Sidhil Bradshaw Junior Profiling Bed features a dazzling and colourful design that’s appealing to younger patients, helping them to feel less frightened of the clinical environment. It’s more compact than regular hospital beds, and perfectly sized for younger children to ensure optimal comfort and effective use of space.
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Long-Term Care BedsIn some cases, patients will need to remain in hospital for extended periods while being treated for their condition(s). For these patients, it is important that they are provided with a bed that is comfortable, even if they are to spend a lot of time in it, as well as being adjustable to allow tailoring of the bed to suit individual patients. Our Choice: Cura II Supreme Profiling Community BedThe Cura II Supreme Profiling Community Bed is an easy-to-clean bed unit that's ideal for providing inpatients a place to rest during extended stays at the hospital. The bed is also adjustable to allow tailoring and ensure maximum comfort for the patient using it.
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Surgical BedsSurgical beds are designed for the secure transport of patients to and from operations, or to rooms where specialised procedures are performed. This type of hospital bed should be highly mobile, easy to manoeuvre, and safe for use during patient transport. Our Choice: Casa Elite Home Beech Standard Profiling Bed with Metal Side RailsThe Casa Elite Home Beech Standard Profiling Bed with Metal Side Rails is a four-section bed with an adjustable head, foot, and knee area to ensure maximum comfort. This bed can be raised and lowered, as well as adjusted to move the patient into an upright seated position. This is ideal when working with patients who may be under anaesthetic, and therefore unable to assist with positioning themselves.
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ICU BedsICU beds are designed with a range of specific features that enable safe and effective usage in intensive care / critical care units. These features include electrical functioning, ease-of-transport, and the ability to put patients in the Trendelenburg position and reverse-Trendelenburg position. Our Choice: Cira Community Electric Profiling BedThe Cura Community Electric Profiling Bed is a fantastic choice of critical care bed that meets the necessary requirements. It has been constructed with a durable and easy-to-use design, so you can keep your focus on your patient during use.
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Divan Hospital Beds A divan bed is one that is designed without a footboard and headboard. These beds are constructed from a base and mattress, and tend to be fairly close to the ground, and are an ideal option for a comfortable and stationary bedding option. Our Choice: Harvest Divan Nursing Home BedThe Harvest Divan Nursing Home Bed is an affordable and sturdy low-bed option that's ideal for use in a fixed sleeping area. This unit is a fantastic cost-effective option for those who may not need to make use out of mobility, profiling, or adjustment features.
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A hospital bed is an essential piece of equipment for most clinical healthcare settings that offers a wide range of functionality for various uses. With the right bed, you can ensure maximum patient comfort, ease of transport and positioning, optimal pressure disbursement for bed-bound patients, as well as providing an area for inpatients to rest and recover during their stay. |
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