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baskethill1 Asked May 2018

Anyone use reading pillow with arms to stop Mom's head from going off bed?

My Mom is 96 but still very mobile. She can potty herself w/ the use of a cane or walker most days. She sleeps in a twin bed and tends to on the very edge. One time she fell out and ended up w/ her head in between the bedside table and her bed. (no real damage but shock fear etc) So I've taken a sofa cushion and put it in between. I walked in today and her arm was off the bed and head on the cushion. I went over and instinctively went to move her back up one the bed. Well that pretty much freaked her out and she scratched me up a bit with her nails. No ones fault really. I probably should have woke her. shrugs. Anyway now I'm looking again for something to keep her off the edge of the bed. ( no she wont let us move the bed side table closer. It has her alarm button on the side there anyway for her to use) So, I was looking at wedges or something and came on those reading pillows with arms . Has anyone used these for that purpose? What was the outcome?

baskethill1 Jun 2018
So this is what i ordered ..hoping it will help the situation . MGrip Adjustable Contoured Bed Rail With Multiple Gripping Positions, Black/Whit , www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HBXF562/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and Back Pain Relief Memory Foam Pillow - Half Moon Bolster Knee Pillow for Side, Back, Stomach Sleepers - Hoping this will prevent her head from getting inbetween or laying up against hard metal . www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075FM14K2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The bolster came today ( a beast to get out from its packaging) waiting to see if it needs to expand anymore ..it did some. I hope these help..Ill let you all know .. An no i have no affliation w/ either of these companies .

cwillie Jun 2018
That would have been a "bed assist rail" JoAnn, if you google you will see there are dozens of styles available.

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JoAnn29 Jun 2018
I wish they allowed pictures. My Mom had a back injury. PT suggested I get a rail to help her pull herself up. Its only 18 inches wide. Its L shaped, the longer part going under the mattress and being secured to the bed frame. It also helped to keep Mom from rolling out of bed. Amputees use them. Its also easy for them to get out of bed. Gives them something to hold onto while getting up to stand. I snuck it into the AL but they found out. They considered it a guardrail, I said it was there to help her out of bed. They suggested a halo but Mom was not able to raise her arm that high or understand how to use it. My daughter said I may have been able to push it but I didn't.

cwillie Jun 2018
Most of the bed assist rails are quite small and wouldn't impede her ability to get in and out of bed, in fact their purpose is to aid with getting up. In addition to that I would try putting something under the sheet at the edge of the bed; half a pool noodle, rolled up towels or a narrow pillow.

baskethill1 Jun 2018
Right now she gets in and out of bed on her own ..mostly. We to put a sofa cushion in between her and the bedside table and ive found her w/ her head on it several times. She ended on teh floor this morning ..but i think she just slide down trying to stand. Ive decided to try one of those 1/4 rail kind things ..that are really for standing support . Ill put it at the head of her bed and a pillow against it . .It should be here in a day or two . We will see how that works .

Treeartist Jun 2018
Baskethill,
Prior to going into the nursing home, my mother slept on a queen size bed with rails on only one side since she never moved as far as the other side. The rails only went about a third of the way down the side of the bed. They kept my mother from rolling out. Your mother will probably need assistance to get in and out of bed. We used her walker to back her up to the bed next to the rails, she sat down as far back as she could and then we angled her feet and legs up onto the bed.

Ahmijoy May 2018
Those pillows can be very confining, I think and not really meant for sleeping. Her face may wind up against one of the arms and that would be uncomfortable as well. I also wouldn’t put the table closer as she could wind up stuck between that and the bed. This is genuine concern as more than a few Seniors have perished from broken necks or suffocating while stuck between their bed and something else.

Rolling up blankets or bed rails may be a better choice. They would keep Grandma in bed and safe. Amazon has more than a few choices. If she’s on Medicare, check with her doctor to see if she could be provided these rails at little or no charge.

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