Accessible Home: A Better Bed Leads to Better Sleep
By Rossetti, Rosemarie; Action Magazine,Publication Date: January 23, 2009
Article discusses bedding that accommodates individuals with mobility disabilities. The author, who has a spinal cord injury and uses a wheelchair, describes the process of selecting bedding that provides comfort, support, and easy wheelchair transfer. The 12-inch thick, pressure-reducing Kaymed gel mattress (http://www.kaymedworld.com), was chosen because of its ability to contour and conform to the body, in part due to a layer of visco elastic, which softens under contact points with the body. The base of the bed, the Legget & Platt Lifestyles S-cape (http://www.lpadjustablebeds.com), includes a cordless remote control that elevates and lowers the head and foot of the mattress and a variable-speed therapeutic body massager. The bed frame was lowered about two inches, by removing its wheels, to make wheelchair transfer easier. The author reports that, following the installation of her bed, she is able to sleep on her back for the first time since her injury and has discontinued the use of an antispasmodic drug prescribed to ease her muscle contractions. Her doctor credited the reduction in spasticity to her mattress with its pressure-relieving surface which prevents pressure areas on the body.
Published by: United Spinal Association (Website:http://www.unitedspinal.org)
Link to text: http://www.unitedspinal.org/publications/action/2009/01/23/a-better-bed-leads-to-better-sleep/
