Hinged bed rail

The client’s feet tend to slip off the side of his bed and what was needed was a small width attachment which can be pulled up 180 degrees whilst he is in the bed and then folded down 180 degrees for when he needs to get out of the bed. To complicate things there is an electronic leg lifter and then bed is a 4 section profiling bed so needs to be compatible with these in-situ devices.

A bed rail was fabricated from 28mm round tube, 25mm square tube and steel plate. The top part was hinged and could be lowered approximately 180 degrees from the vertical.

The bottom fixed part clamped to the client’s bed frame and was fitted with two 10mm diameter spring loaded locking bolts, running inside 15mm tubes with a threaded portion which attached to the bolt retraction mechanism. The latter comprised an inner square section tube with tabs, running inside the 25mm square tube, which connected to the threaded portion of the locking bolts. A lock release handle was attached to the inner tube. This could be operated by fingers or the hook at the end of the client’s “helping hand” tool.

The client can operate the bed rail without assistance from a carer.

Padding material on the rail was considered but the client and O/T agreed that it was not necessary as the client normally used a pillow as a buffer.

 

Bristol panel case ref 815-01