Does anyone know of a mattress pad that will help prevent bed sores?

Thanks for taking the time to give me your suggestions and advice.
I truly appreciate it. At this point my mom seems to be doing pretty
good and I hope it stays that way, but you do really need to be on
top of things and speak up for your nursing home loved ones to make
sure things are taken care of.

The nursing home said an alternating pressure mattress is not provided until the patient develops a bedsore?? I've never head of this and, unfortunately, I've had plenty of experience in a long-term care facility. Is this facility a doctor-managed one or a smaller group home/private - pay one where there's no doctor or registered nurse in charge? You tell the nurse your mother needs to be turned every few hours during business hours - and her undergarment needs to be checked at this time, at a bare minimum. Her buttocks needs to be kept dry. And her body needs to be well-hydrated. If your mother develops a bedsore then the facility can be liable because it's negligence. Don't let them give you the runaround. Your mother's doctor can prescribe an alternating pressure mattress which will be covered by insurance but the doctor has to provide documentation supporting this request. Insurance companies are more than ready to pay for an alternating pressure mattress because it's so much cheaper than treatment for a bedsore. My mother is at home with me. She's bedridden on an alternating pressure mattress - and I still turn her every few hours from 7am to 7pm. I also use Intense Fast Healing Cream by TriDerma on my mother's butt - every other night. I purchase the cream off of Amazon.

An airflow pad was provided by hospice and resulted in no bedsores. Skin breakdown doesn't have to happen for your loved one if skin is kept clean and dry.

This question has come up on the site several times. Before making the move to alternating air systems you might try T-Foam or GeoMatt products. I have no personal knowledge of their effectiveness but they are highly recommended.

My mother was in a NH for five months, mostly bedridden. They had her on an air mattress and also put foam booties on her feet. They turned her on a regular basis. She never developed bed sores. Her mattress was like a little boat with the sides curled up to keep her from getting out of bed. If they put her in a geri-chair, it was on a soft pad that cradled her.
Maybe you could talk to her primary doctor and if he writes an Rx they will have to get one for her. You would think for a bedridden patient they would want to use one before a patient gets bedsores because when they do, it is a lot more work. If they won't, you could google it and see what is out there in medical supply sites.

GA: Kind of like shutting the barn door after the horses have escaped. Huh. I don't like it either.

You could try that product call " LOHO air cushion" about $100( long ago over $400)...could use in the bed or chair.
Your mother is in NH... Does CNA or nurses aide assisting your mother for turn every couple of hours? why I said this I worked at NH, it's no reason to having the very painful sore on any patients at all!!!! Specially 24 hours care.

Over a decade ago we used an alternating pressure mattress; it's divided into segments which raise and lower very moderately, allowing the mattress to move different parts of the body so they don't remain stationary. A doctor prescribed it for home use.

I'm guessing that they really are expensive, even up to $1k as you've seen. Perhaps you could talk to your mother's primary care doctor or internist and ask if she/he will write a prescription for it. It might be that the nursing home could then get Medicare to pay for it.

I don't like the idea of waiting until someone has bed sores to treat them.