Hi there,
Grateful for any advice for my mum who has advanced PD. Once I help her into bed at night she lies all night on her left side as she cannot turn herself. She has pillows etc around her so she can occasionally shift her weight slightly onto her back. She sleeps on a standard single bed with medium firm mattress. We do have those bars that fit under the mattress for her to grab but she hasnt got enough strength in her arms to pull herself up properly.
She is starting to complain that the bed feels uncomfortable. Like the ‘Princess and the Pea’ she says she can feel the mattress and these bars poking her. Actually, because she sleeps with her upper torso slightly elevated, I think she is feeling her own ribs.
We do not have room for a hospital style bed. I have heard mixed reviews about memory foam. We are concerned that she would get ‘stuck’ in the memory dip as she cannot move herself.
Years ago, when my grandma was alive, she had a ripple mattress on her domestic bed. Is it still possible to get these? I mean the ripple mattress like they use in hospitals that have pockets of air that go up and down to relieve pressure.
Grateful for any input.
Hi,
I am fairly sure the air mattresses used in Hospital are available in the community usually via District Nursing Service if they are involved, GP or Occupational Therapist. Quite recently my Husband was in Hospital and it was discussed but we declined, contact your GP if O/T and D/Nurses not involved in her care.
Oh Thankyou!
I will try to contact GP or OT.
Very useful info, thanks.
I would agree with Peter12 in that you need an assessment by an Occupational Therapist you usually need to contact your local Adult Care Services at your local council to refer for assessment and you can do this yourself, it may be quicker than waiting for your GP to do it. I would also suggest you highlight the bed issue by all means but as part of a general assessment to make sure all her needs are addressed; I know it sounds ridiculous but sometimes the person and family don’t recognise all the issues or what is available to alleviate them.
Good luck.
Tot
Thank you Tot!
What you say about the ‘Princess and the Pea’ re your mum resonates with me! I am not as frail and can turn with difficulty at night, although there have been times when I have felt stuck. I don’t think memory foam is a good idea, as she will feel stuck, but the airflow mattress might help. In my experience, having tried different beds, the problem lies with my body rather than the bed! Is there anything else you could try, such as different or additional medications? Get the OT assessment, but also talk to her PD nurse or neurologist.
Thanks Sallyjt
Mum will be pleased to hear that she is not the only one having these issues. Sometimes she feels like she is the only one!
Thanks for the advice.
Hope you are getting a better night’s rest also!
We have a waterbed and my husband although unable to turn easily finds it much better than the normal bed in our spare room which he slept in recently for a few weeks after an operation which left his leg in plaster and continued to sleep there after the plaster came off for a few weeks. The occupational therapist told him to sleep in the spare bed because he would find it easier to get out of but he would much rather sleep in the waterbed as he finds it much more comfortable. Waterbeds support you without giving you bed sores even if you can’t move .
thats useful to hear that someone with PD can sleep safely in a water bed.
My mum seems to need a firmer mattress though. When she had a soft mattress she had difficulty getting in and out. I wonder if the water would be less firm and cause different issues.
Something else to explore with OT. Thanks
hi, i would also suggest the use of satin sheets.
hi, i would also suggest the use of a metal bar frame at the top of the bed instead of a plain head board, so you can hold onto a bar and pull yourself up
Thank you all for your advice and suggestions!
We did have a visit from OT recently who did a very thorough assessment. In two days time we are expecting ghe delivery of a hospital bed with a pressure relieving mattress on. Mum is eagerly looking forward to more comfortable nights!
Hope it all lives up to expectations! OT did say we can contact them again if there are any issues.
Thanks again!