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The Benefits and Risks of Bed Rails
Potential benefits of bed rails include:
● Aiding in turning and repositioning within the bed.
● Providing a hand-hold for getting into or out of bed.
● Providing a feeling of comfort and security.
● Reducing the risk of patients falling out of bed when being transported.
● Providing easy access to bed controls and personal care items.
Potential risks of bed rails may include:
● Strangling, suffocating, bodily injury or death when patients or part of their
body are caught between rails or between the bed rails and mattress.
● More serious injuries from falls when patients climb over rails. Skin bruising,
cuts, and scrapes.
● Inducing agitated behavior when bed rails are used as a restraint.
● Feeling isolated or unnecessarily restricted.
● Preventing patients, who are able to get out of bed, from performing routine
activities such as going to the bathroom or retrieving something from a closet.
Which Ways of Reducing Risks are Best?
A process that requires ongoing patient evaluation and monitoring will result
in optimizing bed safety. Many patients go through a period of adjustment to
become comfortable with new options. Patients and their families should talk to
their health care planning team to find out which options are best for them.
User Manual & Entrapment Guide
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