Kids recover fast from their health conditions when they are comfortable at the clinic or hospital. There are many things that might help in keeping the pediatric patient comfortable. But the most important thing is the bed. Choosing the right type of bed is vital for comfort and quick recovery. You need the right Fowler’s bed for pediatric patients to ensure the patient’s comfort.
Fowler beds provide safety to the patients. Almost all pediatric clinics and hospitals have these beds to treat their patients. However, choosing the right Fowler’s bed can often be confusing. There are some factors that you need to consider to make the best choice.
Let’s understand more about Fowler’s bed and how you can choose the perfect one.
A] What Is A Fowler’s Bed?
A hospital is the primary thing that a patient requires in a healthcare system. The treatment is secondary. So, a hospital should be a place of comfort that helps patients heal quickly.
Hospital beds play a great role in deciding whether or not a person feels comfortable. If the patient feels uncomfortable lying down or sitting on his bed, it might distress him. Thus, he’ll have new troubles apart from the medical condition with which he already has to deal.
Fowler’s bed is a comfortable hospital furniture that’s perfect for patients who cannot move much. Such a bed is highly adjustable to suit what the pediatric patient wants. This bed is known for its extraordinary durability.
B] Features Of A Fowler’s Bed
Let’s take a look at some features of ,Fowler’s bed.
1. Adjustability
This bed for pediatric patients allows you to make adjustments easily. Unlike most hospital beds, Fowler’s beds come with the feature of back and knee adjustment. So it’s easy for the patient to maintain his comfort during his recovery time.
2. Height Adjustment
Apart from the features of back and knee adjustment, you can also adjust the height of these beds. So, the patient’s caregiver finds it easy to take care of the patient.
3. Guard Rails
Guard rails on both sides of these beds make sure that the patient stays safe. There are fewer chances of a patient falling out of his bed accidentally.
4. Locking Wheel
A Fowler’s bed comes with locking wheels that make it more stable. Once you lock the wheels of the bed, you can avoid any unintended movement of the patient’s bed.
5. Easy-Clean Surfaces
Hospitals and the hospital furniture should be neat and clean. But if you choose such furniture that’s hard to clean, it can create infections. The good thing about Fowler’s bed is that it comes with an easy-clean surface. So, you can easily clean these beds and disinfect them.
6. Manual And Electric
You can either opt for the manual Fowler’s bed or you can choose the electric one. These beds often have battery backs and remote controls so that it’s easy for caregivers and pediatric surgeons to use them.
The features of a Fowler’s bed make it a very versatile hospital furniture. This bed is available in different types. So, it can be confusing to pick a bed for the hospital.
Let’s take a look at some factors that might help you in choosing the right furniture.
C] Factors To Consider When Choosing A Fowler’s Bed
Here are a few factors that you’ll need to consider when choosing a bed for the pediatric patient.
1. Safety Features
When a patient visits a hospital, he needs to feel safe. As mentioned, a Fowler’s bed comes with an added feature of safety. It provides you with guard rails, locking wheels, and emergency lowering options.
If you are thinking of getting a fully electric bed for your pediatric patients, make sure that it has the emergency lowering feature. This feature is helpful when a power outage occurs. You can easily lower the patient’s bed without much risk.
2. Size And Weight Capacity
All pediatric patients have different heights and weights. The hospital bed should be able to cater to their age, height, and weight. You should opt for a bed that’s of a medium size.
If you get a bed that’s too small for your patient, you’ll make him feel uncomfortable. Similarly, a bed that’s too large also might not be able to provide the necessary support.
Even if you’re bringing a Fowler’s bed home, you should match the patient’s height with the bed and then pick one.
It’s also important to consider the patient’s weight. The bed should be able to easily accommodate a patient of a particular weight.
If you put a heavy patient on a bed that’s made for normal weight, it can cause structural damage to the bed. Also, the pediatric patient might suffer from certain safety issues.
3. Durability And Easy Maintenance
You might need to shell out more money to buy a Fowler’s bed. So, make sure that the bed is highly durable. It should be able to withstand the rigours of a hospital environment. The bed should have a build that makes it perfect for everyday hospital use.
The maintenance of the bed is another issue that you have to consider. You’ll require regular cleaning of the bed to ensure that a patient stays in a safe and clean environment around him.
The bed should have surfaces that you can easily clean. It’ll simplify the job of the caregivers.
4. Mobility And Adjustment
Mobile and adjustable beds play a great role in ensuring that pediatric patients get proper care.
The beds that you use should be easy to move. This way, you’ll ensure that a patient doesn’t have to hop on and off the bed when you need to move him to another room.
The bed for the pediatric patient should also come with easy adjustments. You should be able to easily adjust the head and foot positioning of the patient.
D] Type Of Fowler’s Bed
There isn’t only one type of Fowler’s bed that you’ll find in the market. These beds come in different varieties to suit the patient’s convenience. Let’s take a look at some of the most common types of Fowler’s beds you can get.
1. Manual Fowler’s Bed
A manual bed requires a lot of human effort to adjust to different positions for the patient. It has levers and manual hand cranks that you can use to fix its position.
Manual Fowler’s beds offer only the basic setting for your patient. Of course, they are pocket-friendly but the caregivers might need to put in a lot of effort to make the patient comfortable.
2. Semi-Electric Fowler’s Bed
This type of Fowler’s bed comes with both manual setting and electric functions. The electric function of this bed allows you to make powered adjustments for various positions. It’s still a better option than a manual bed since the caregivers or the patients don’t need to put in much physical effort.
Even though these beds are a little more expensive than the manual ones, they are much more comfortable. A semi-electric Fowler’s bed is the best choice for patients who need to make frequent adjustments to their positioning.
3. Full-Electric Fowler’s Bed
A fully electric Fowler’s bed is definitely expensive. However, it offers a lot of functionalities over the manual and semi-electric ones. These beds offer you full electric control for adjusting the head, foot, or knee positioning.
A full-electric Fowler’s bed is the most convenient option for pediatric patients.
E] Bed Mattresses And Accessories
Apart from choosing the right type of Fowler’s bed, you also need to consider the mattresses and other accessories.
1. Mattresses
The kind of mattresses the Fowler’s bed has will determine the comfort level of the patient. While choosing the mattress, you often have a choice between innerspring mattresses, foam mattresses, and air mattresses.
Innerspring mattresses are durable and long-lasting. But if you want to give the pediatric patient a little more comfort, you should choose foam or air mattresses.
2. Accessories
Most of Fowler’s beds have bedside rails. These rails prevent the patient from rolling out of the bed. But that’s not the only accessory you should look for.
You should choose a bed that also has an overbed table for the patients. This table makes it convenient for the patient to eat, read, or write comfortably.
3. Infection Control
We all know infections spread fast. Mostly, the place where a patient puts up or the bed on which he sleeps is the main source of infections. Fowler’s beds should be such that they avoid the risk of any infections.
You can choose a bed that has an antimicrobial coating and easy-to-clean surfaces. It allows you to keep the patient and caregivers healthy.
4. Patient Age And Development Stage
Another thing that you must keep in mind while choosing Fowler’s bed is the age and developmental stage of the patients. Pediatric patients of different ages have specific needs. For example, a bed that’s perfect for a toddler might not be the right choice for older children.
If the patient is an infant or a toddler, you can choose a bed that comes with a crib-style railing. A robust safety system will help you protect the patient while he recovers.
5. Patient Mobility
Not all patients need to stay in bed 24×7. The healthcare provider might recommend some movement for the patient.
If the health conditions of the patient permit him to move, you can choose a bed that can accommodate that level of mobility. In such a case, you can go for a bed that’s low in height so that it offers easy access.
6. Bed Controls
The Fowler’s bed should have user-friendly bed controls. After all, the bed is of no use if the caregivers cannot take advantage of it.
You should choose a bed that’s easy to operate. Such beds are also helpful for people who don’t need frequent help from their caregivers to make adjustments.
7. Accommodating Medical Equipments
Sometimes, the pediatric patient might require some medical equipment like IV poles or ventilator mounts. It can be pretty challenging to offer the best care to the patient if his bed cannot accommodate this medical equipment.
So, look for a bed that provides a space for such equipment.
8. Warranty And Service
If you choose a manual Fowler’s bed, you won’t have to worry much about its servicing. But if you’re going with the semi-electric or the fully electric beds for pediatric patients, warranty and servicing are important.
Semi-electric and fully electric beds are just machines. They can break down or stop functioning at any time. It’s going to cost you a lot to repair these beds on your own. So, it’s best that you opt for beds that have comprehensive warranty plants.
You should also consider if the manufacturer offers you proper servicing of these beds for long. Doing so will give you peace of mind and you’ll also be able to fix any issues with the bed as and when they arise.
9. Budget Constraints
At last, everything comes down to your budget. The manual Fowler’s beds can be your choice if you don’t have much to spend. But if your budget permits, you should go for the semi-electric or the fully electric beds.
Electric Fowler’s beds offer unmatched comfort and convenience to the patients.
When you consider your options for the bed for your pediatric patient, try to stay within your budget. But being low on budget should not mean a compromise with the quality. Look for a bed that offers the best features within your budget.
If you strike a balance between the cost and features of the bed, you’ll end up giving the most comforting care to the patient.
Wrapping It Up!
Of course, the kind of healthcare that you give the patient decides how fast the patient recovers. But it’s also important that the patient feels comfortable while recovering. And let’s face it! The premises that a patient stays in and the healthcare furniture around him can contribute a lot to his recovery.
A pediatric patient needs extra care especially in the ,cases of abdominal pain, since he might not be able to express exactly how he feels. The only way to make a pediatric patient feel better is to make him comfortable. A Fowler’s bed is the first thing you should look for in a pediatric patient.
There are a lot of factors that you should consider while choosing a Fowler’s bed. If you keep these things in mind, you’ll succeed in offering the best care to the patient.
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