Can anyone advise me on finding a good mattress for Mom's hospital bed?

Gigi - my husband wont let me replace his mattress and this one is not supportive so I bought an alpaca filled topper which seems to give support and comfort much more than the usual toppers. There is something special about the alpaca wool. This might be too late for you but perhaps helpful for others with this problem. It can be quite expensive but a lot cheaper than a decent new mattress! also helps with pressure sores.

Match the mattress to the patient's weight. If you sagging in just a few weeks, you need a stronger mattress.

What you can do is check your local pharmacies that carry medical equipment and tell them about the mattress. What you can do is get and innerspring mattress and put a memory foam topper on top of that. You can find the mattress toppers at Walmart, and memory foam is actually better than regular foam pads. Thicker memory foam pads are more expensive but well worth it. Another thing you can do is to get a Tempur-pedic topper to go over top of the innerspring mattress. Another option would definitely be to put her in a regular but adjustable bed, And you can even put bedrails on any of the beds on the market. There are special folding rails with arms that go under the mattress. These options to explore if a hospital bed really doesn't work for you.

I should finally acknowledge the idea about the alternating pressure topper, because this is another very good idea to consider. This is a very high quality piece of equipment, especially when such cushions are also wheelchairs. This particular option would definitely be worth looking into.

C a s p e r site, mailed to you folded in half.

I suggest a pillow top. Can be bought at Walmart. You can put it on top of her bed.

My mother was given a Rx from her doctor for a gel filled mattress pad. Her insurance paid for it , with no copay. I contacted Metric Medical Supplies in Michigan. I hope this help.

You probably should buy a good regular mattress - nothing outlandishly priced - and put an overlay, either alternating air or even just a GeoMatt. (Eggcrate is not that good -works better for eggs than people's behinds.)

At the last hospital we occupied, my wife had an air pump regulated mattress with longitudinal tubes. When we transferred to our house from the hospital Medicare would not authorize that quality mattress for her.

Once she began to develop the redness associated with bed sores or the skin surface indicated it was beginning to show signs of breaking down (bed sores) ...they authorized the installation of the upgrade. You have to have the problem before they act.

The attending doctor from the Home Health Agency can authorize an upgrade or your regular doctor or the palliative We qualified for Medicare, my wife was confined to a hospital bed, oxygen, ADLs, gall bladder cath food tube etc.

Its the old story they put up the stop sign after the accident.

People call us all the time complaining about uncomfortable mattresses on hospital beds. You are right- those mattresses are cheaply made plus they have the disadvantage of having to be thin enough to bend. Unless there are medical reasons for a hospital bed most people prefer a good quality mattress on a normal wide bed (with room to roll over, stretch out, or sleep with a spouse). Quality of life should be the key factor. Many callers have slept with their spouse for 60+ years- and they don't want to change a thing. Even with mobility issues people can choose to stay in their wide beds.

Call a durable medical equipment (DME) company and tell them your issue they should help. An National company in most areas is Blackburn but there are usually a lot of local DME companies that can help you with your options.

We just got a hospital bed for my husband who is 6'4" and 245 lbs. we could not believe the crappy mattress that came with it. We went to a home health care store ( Home Healthcare Depot) and got one by Drive. On the sales receipt it says " pressure relieving foam mattress " and on the mattress itself it says " long term care mattress". It's only been a couple of nights but so far it is great. It was $292.
I have learned that the original ones are really cheaply made because when the bed is returned the mattress is destroyed. Although it is ours for good it can always be used for overnight guests. Hope this helps!

I used a regular twin memory foam mattress on my moms hospital bed. This is the mattress that she slept on prior to using the hospital bed. I felt that the one that came with the bed was too hot since it was covered in plastic and she did not like the one with air that would automatically adjust. I put a washable pad under the sheets and another on top under the draw sheet. This worked well for us. Also had no problem when the head of the bed was raised, the mattress bended where it was suppose to. Good luck

Gigi, I'm wondering if you could get one of the alternating pressure pad mattresses, design to prevent bed sores? I'm assume she's not able to move around too much, so that might solve the issue of an inadequate mattress base. Other than that, I don't have much experience with good mattresses. I don't even remember the brand of the good one I had for years.

Given that 2 were from agencies, the issue might be what's available through the DME market.