I Felt So Helpless The Day My Husband Fell

The Friendly Bed is as much for the disabled
as it is for the Caregiver. 
“My husband and I were married 46 years when we were faced with a challenging decision. My husband has MS, and the difficulty of moving his legs, the tremors, weakness, balance problems and pain he was experiencing greatly restricted his mobility. 

For the most part, between my help and his power chair, he was able to get around okay and remain in our home. However, at night and when I was not available, his loss of mobility posed a problem. The MS did not just lead to muscle spasms and pain, but also frequent urges to use the bathroom. Getting in and out of bed several times a night was difficult. Even with the help of absorbent products like these, we were both losing sleep. We couldn’t go on that way, barely eeking by. We had to decide what to do.

We had been sleeping in the same bed for 46 years, and we were facing a move to assisted living for him. I couldn’t bear the thought of being separated, but did not know what else to do. Then a neighbor offered us a hospital bed. It adjusted, making it easier for him to sit up in bed. All of our problems were solved…or so we thought.

One day, while navigating his way from the adjustable hospital bed to his power chair, he fell on the floor. I heard the crash, and ran from the kitchen to help. There was nothing I could do. I tried and tried to lift him, turn him, or help him, but I simply did not have the strength. I was devastated, and had no choice but to call the EMTs.

I felt so helpless, and even after he was helped off the floor I could not get rid of the pit in my stomach, the dread I was feeling. All I could think was, “Now what? Do we risk this again?” He did not want to leave home. I did not want him to leave. But the risks were high, and a hospital bed was not enough.”

This story is all too familiar. Many families are faced with the challenging decision of what to do when the care they can offer at home in their current situation is inadequate for their elderly or disabled loved one.

Assisted living can be a good option, but is often expensive, and many resist the idea of leaving home. The vast majority of individuals want to remain in their own homes, sleep in their own beds, and be with their spouse. Narrow hospital beds are constraining and unappealing, and in some cases not enough to provide the safety needed.

Fortunately, now there is an option which allows people the normalcy and dignity they are accustomed to while providing a safe and secure way to get into and out of bed: Friendly Beds!

Friendly Beds are assistive devices that provide comfort and safety, but most importantly independence to the bed mobility challenged, such as the frail elderly, stroke, MS, MD, CP, Parkinsons, arthritis, spinal cord injury patients. It is a bed system of transfer rails and balance bars to help make getting in and out of bed safer, easier, and possibly independently.

The reasons we at The CareGiver Partnership recommend Friendly Beds include:
  • It works with your existing bedroom furniture. It can connect to your headboard, which adds extra stability and support. 
  • It is modular. You can customize it how you want to get the features you want and need. These include lighting, TV mount, over the bed tables, balance bars, and more. 
  • It is easy to set up and take down. A caregiver can do it.
  • It is stronger and more durable than other systems on the market.
  • It is stable and a great balance option without the need for holes in the walls, floors, or ceilings. 
  • It is made in America. 
The Friendly Bed is as much for the Caregiver as it is for the mobility disabled. The suggested retail is $3500, which is less than 2 weeks in a nursing home. To learn more, call 920-257-4001 or visit the Friendly Beds Website or Facebook page. Should you decide to order a Friendly Bed mention The Caregiver Partnership for a special discount (factory direct orders only). 


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About The CareGiver Partnership. The CareGiver Partnership helps caregivers and their loved ones with answers to their caregiving questions, including information about home health care products and supplies, from our Wisconsin-based team of Product Specialists who are all current or former caregivers. The company’s Web site provides the largest online library of resources on subjects most important to caregivers — from arthritis to assisted living, and Parkinson’s to prostate cancer — as well as access to more than 3,000 home care products for incontinence, skin care, mobility, home safety and daily living aids. The CareGiver Partnership was founded in 2004 by Lynn Wilson of Neenah, Wisc. Visithttp://www.caregiverpartnership.com to learn more or call 1-800-985-1353.

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