Product Manual

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Meeting Resident’s Needs for Safety
Most residents can be in bed safely without bed rails. Consider the following:
• Use beds that can be raised and lowered close to the floor to accommodate both
resident and health care worker needs.
• Keep the bed in the lowest position with wheels locked.
• When the resident is at risk of falling out of bed, place mats next to the bed, as long as
this does not create a greater risk of accident.
• Use transfer or mobility aids.
• Monitor residents frequently.
• Anticipate the reasons residents get out of bed such as hunger, thirst, going to be the
bathroom, restlessness and pain; meet these needs by offering food and fluids,
scheduling ample toileting, and providing calming interventions and pain relief.
When bed rails are used, perform an on-going assessment of the resident’s physical and mental
status; closely monitor high-risk residents. Consider the following:
• Lower one or more sections of the bed rail, such as the foot rail.
• Use a proper size mattress or mattress with raised foam edges to prevent residents from
being trapped between the mattress and rail.
• Reduce the gaps between the mattress and side rails.
Which Ways of Reducing Risk are Best?
A process that requires ongoing resident evaluation and monitoring will result in optimizing bed
safety. Many residents go through a period of adjustment to become comfortable with new
options. Residents and their families should talk to their health care planning team to find out
which options are best for them.
Resident or Family Concerns About Bed Rail Use
If residents or family ask about using bed rails, health care providers should:
• Encourage residents or family to talk to their health care planning team to determine
whether or not bed rails are indicated.
• Reassure residents and their families that in many cases, the resident can sleep safely
without bed rails.
• Reassess the need for using bed rails on a frequent regular basis.
To report an adverse event or medical device problem, please call FDA’s MedWatch Reporting
Program at 1-800-FDA-1088.
For additional copies of this brochure, see the FDA’s website at http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/beds/.
For more information about this brochure, contact Beryl Goldman at 610-335-1280 or by e-mail
at [e-mail]. She has volunteered to answer questions. For information
regarding a specific hospital bed, contact the bed manufacturer directly.