Bedroom equipment
If your Parkinson's make it difficult to get in and out of bed, there's a range of equipment available to help.
It’s important to feel as comfortable and confident as possible when getting in or out of bed.
Parkinson’s symptoms, like muscle stiffness, can make this more difficult. But simple equipment like satin sheets could help, or you may consider mechanical options like a bed or mattress raiser.
Satin sheets
Satin sheets can help you turn over in bed. You can buy specially designed sheets with satin panels or off-the-shelf satin sheets.
Some people prefer to have a panel of satin going across the middle of their bed where their hips rest while in bed.
If you use satin sheets, make sure there is an area of friction at the end or sides of your bed, so you can get some grip.
Satin pyjamas may also help, but you should avoid using satin sheets and satin pyjamas at the same time. Together, they can cause you to slide out of bed too quickly.
Bedside grab rails
You can use these to:
- adjust your position in bed
- help yourself out of bed
- lower yourself into bed independently.
You’ll need moderate upper body strength to be able to use bedside grab rails. An occupational therapist or physiotherapist will be able to show you how to use them.
Bed raisers
You can use bed raisers to lift your bed a few inches, making it easier to get in and out of it.
It’s important that your bed is not raised up too high as it might make it difficult for you to lift your legs onto the bed or get out of bed safely.
Bed raisers come in various heights, usually between 3 and 6 inches. You can buy them in different materials such as wood, plastic and metal, to match your bed legs.
Any bed raisers you have should be stable and well supported. Also make sure that the legs of your bed sit deep within the bed raisers and don't just rest on top of them where they may slip off.
Mattress raisers
A mattress raiser can help lift you into a seated position, making it easier for you to get out of bed.
Types of mattress raisers
There are different types of mattress raisers:
- Mechanical. These can be set to a certain degree of elevation but can’t be repositioned easily.
- Electric. These allow you to raise and lower your bed using a hand-held control.
- Pneumatic. These use air to inflate a pillow-like device under the mattress to raise and lower it. This can also be set to inflate only on one side, turning you at the same time.
Choosing a mattress raiser
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Raisers are more effective if your mattress is fairly thin.
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Check that the controls are simple to use. Single button controls might be easier.
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Check how noisy a mattress raiser is.
Comfort and safety tips
- Make sure nothing gets caught when the raiser is in motion. Look out for electric cables and bedding in particular.
- If your bed has a bedside rail or bed lever, it should be positioned so that it goes up and down with the mattress. Not all bed levers can be used in combination with a mattress raiser. You can check that your choices would work together before installing them. In the raised position, a mattress raiser can cause you to slide down and out of the bed.
Electric profiling or hospital beds
Electric profiling beds and hospital beds allow you to raise and lower the mattress where your head and knees are.
You can use both types of bed at home. They can help you sit up from lying down. Some people find they also reduce dizziness and ankle swelling.
Hospital beds are usually height-adjustable and may have side rails. They may have wheels so the bed can be moved.
Electric profiling beds often look more like an ordinary bed. Some styles have split mattresses, so each side can be set to a different position. This is useful if your partner wants to position their side of the bed differently from you.
Comfort and safety tips
- Make sure there are no electric cords, feeding lines or bedding that will get caught up when the mattress is being raised.
- Take care that your fingers and hands are not caught in the sides of the bed. This can be an issue if your bed has heavy sides that go up and down, especially if the rail comes down suddenly.
- Make sure you can easily reach the controls when you are lying down.
Hoists
A hoist can lift you between your bed and wheelchair, or your bed and a commode. Usually social services will recommend a hoist and may be able to provide you with one.
You can talk to an occupational therapist about whether a hoist is suitable for you.
Over-bed trapezes and rope ladders
Bars (over-bed trapezes) and ropes can be hung over the bed above your head. These allow a person to pull themselves up from a lying to a sitting position.
These are not provided by local authorities in many areas, so you would probably have to buy one yourself.
These devices require a lot of upper body strength to use, so they don’t suit many people with Parkinson’s. Speak to your occupational therapist about what might be available and suitable for you.
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Thank you
Thank you to the following experts who contributed to or reviewed this information:
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Rebecca Boddington, Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist
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Lauren Drake, Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist, MY Therapy service, Mid Yorkshire Teaching Trust
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Rachael Stringer, Occupational Therapist, University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust
Thanks also to everyone living with or supporting someone with Parkinson's who provided feedback or helped produce this information.
This content will next be reviewed within 3 years of that date. If you'd like to find out more about how we put our information together, including references and the sources of evidence we use, please contact us at [email protected]