Bed Alarms for Elderly / Bed Alarms for Seniors

According to the United Nations, more than 20% of people in the US are at least 60 years old today. In 2030, the world’s seniors are expected to outnumber children under 10 years of age (1.41 billion versus 1.35 billion). These numbers are staggering. Now, this population has different needs than people of other ages; for instance, they are much more prone to falling than younger individuals. 

To be exact, one in four Americans falls every year. Fall-related injuries are very painful for seniors, both physically and emotionally. A fall can hurt their social life, by causing them to be unable to enjoy certain activities, and it can also be detrimental to their emotional well being. To help keep our older population as healthy and well as possible, AvaCare Medical carries countless safety products. One such product is bed alarms for elderly people. 

More than one in 10 falls occur during nighttime hours. This is frightening, because these are not waking hours; for how much of these hours is the senior even up? This means that during the minute amount of time that the senior is awake in the midst of the night, there is a decent chance that calamity will happen. 

What Causes Nighttime Falls?

There are many factors which can increase the risk of a nighttime fall occurring. By doing whatever one can to mitigate the presence of these factors, one is essentially reducing the chances that a fall will occur. 

Fall Risk Factors:

• Uneven floor
• Slippery floor
• Balance problems
• Certain medications
• Hearing issues
• Visual impairment
• Impaired gait
• Limited muscle strength
• Osteoporosis
• Hyponatremia
• Limited activity
• Slower speed of reactions
• Fear of falling resulting in being less active
• Objects on the floor that can be tripping hazards

Fall Prevention Strategies

Although seniors do have an increased susceptibility to falls, there are ways to make falls less likely to occur. Making sure floors aren’t slippery or uneven, installing lighting so that the room is adequately lit up, and being sure that there are no tripping hazards around are just a few ideas. Other ways to prevent falls would be to exercise often (according to your doctor’s or therapist’s recommendations), have balance training, stay active, and, when possible, deal with any medical issues that can be a fall risk. You can also take certain vitamins - Vitamin D, specifically, is one supplement that has shown to decrease the long term rate of fall injuries.¹ 

In Case a Fall Occurs

Once you’ve done all of the above, reducing the risk of a fall as much as possible, you’ll still want to be proactive and make sure that, in the event that a fall occurs, you’ll still be as safe as possible. One way to ensure this is to invest in an emergency alerting device. Another way, which we’ll be focusing on here, would be to get a bed alarm for your elderly loved one or patient. 

What is a Bed Alarm for Seniors?

A bed alarm for seniors is a device that alerts a caregiver when the senior is getting out of bed. There are three types of bed alarms: Bed alarm pads, motion sensors, and pull cord alarms. 

A bed alarm pad is placed under the patient, and it can sense as soon as the amount of weight on top of it is reduced. As soon as the patient gets up from the bed, the caregiver is alerted and can come and be of assistance. This will make falls much less likely to occur. Another major benefit of a bed monitor for seniors is that in case a fall does occur while the senior is in middle of getting out of bed, the caregiver will be alerted immediately and can be there within seconds and provide the necessary help. 

A motion sensor alarm is not necessarily placed under the patient - it is simply placed at the bedside, and will alert the caregiver if it senses movement. A bed sensor for elderly patients cannot detect the difference between people, so if a person comes to visit, or even if the caregiver is doing things at the patient’s bedside, an alarm will sound.

A pull cord bed alarm for seniors is attached to the patient’s attire. It works as follows: if the patient moves substantially out of place, the alarm will sound. Thus, the caregiver will be alerted and can come and be of assistance.

When to Use Bed Alarms for Seniors

There are several reasons why a bed alarm for seniors would be utilized:

• Those with dementia or Alzheimer’s, who often have a tendency to get out of bed and wander off, can benefit from using a bed alarm for seniors. The bed alarm will alert the caregiver as soon as the person gets out of bed, so that the caregiver can come before the person walks out. Using a patient alarm for an elderly person getting out of bed will prevent him from getting lost.
• Another reason for investing in a bed monitor for elderly patients, which we’ve mentioned, is that it alerts the caregiver in case a fall occurs.
• It also alerts the caregiver when the person gets out of bed, so that he can aid the person and monitor the situation until the patient goes back to sleep.
• Also, a bed alarm can be useful if the person needs assistance using the bathroom - the caregiver will know when he gets up, and can come.

At AvaCare Medical, we have a full selection of bed and chair alarms for seniors. Are you the caregiver for an elderly patient? Do you worry sometimes that your patient will fall or wander off, and you won’t realize right away? Does your patient sometimes require your assistance when he gets up in the middle of the night? Rest your nerves and sleep better by getting a bed alarm for your elderly patient. Find the best bed alarms for elderly patients on AvaCare Medical today!

1. Cameron ID, Murray GR, Gillespie LD, et al. Interventions for preventing falls in older people in nursing care facilities and hospitals. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Jan 20;(1):CD005465. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD005465.