In house studies using US government data and independent research shows that over 60% of children with special needs would benefit from a Beds by George safety bed
A safety bed is designed primarily to help prevent falls and prevent entrapment or entanglement. We keep the patient safe with some of the tallest doors / sides in the industry and FDA standards for anti-entrapment.
BUT… We believe your safety bed should do more…
- Is there a psychological benefit to having a home medical safety bed that looks like furniture instead of something institutional?
- Shouldn’t safety beds that cost this much be made from only the finest materials?
- Shouldn’t safety beds like this be designed to last a very long time since the patient is probably going to need it a very long time.
- Shouldn’t families have some options for aesthetic choices in addition to functional choices on their safety bed?
Safety
- Of course the #1 factor is safety. We meet or exceed the CPSC and FDA standards of safety.
- The patients in our beds are not just little kids. Our beds are designed to withstand significantly more force to the frame and doors than a typical crib or consumer bed safety product.
- To maximize safety the features on our beds are designed to minimize the possibility of operating the bed incorrectly.
Ease of Use
This is one of our trademarks. Opening and closing a BBG safety bed is very easy, fast, quiet, and nearly foolproof. Any safety product that is hard to use will not be used correctly. If it is not used correctly, it is not longer a safety product, and in fact it may actually cause harm. Its one reason we designed the BBG trademark dual door system.
- BBG doors can be open and closed with ONE hand using only 12 pounds of force
- BBG doors have been designed to minimize the possibility that they can be used wrong. If you need a tall side the caregiver can’t partially close the door and leave the user in an unsafe situation
- Adjustable head and foot have infinite stopping points to help the caregiver find the perfect angle
Aesthetics
- We believe that medically fragile people deserve beds that look like they belong in a home. We believe that it is a psychological benefit to the patient and to the families and caregivers.
- We also believe that families should be allowed to select stains and styles to match their decor — usually without additional cost!
- We do our best to conceal screws and bolts whenever possible – unlike most competitors.
Quality
While we do take a lot of pride in what we build, the reality is the design, craftsmanship and materials are the only way quality can be defined.
- Amish craftsmen handbuild each bed to order – hand cut, hand sand, hand finish
- We use furniture grade BOARDS – no plastic edging, no veneers — to build our beds. Our corner posts are literally 4×4’s for stability and strength.
- We use centuries old cabinet making techniques with modern fasteners to keep the components from warping and coming apart.
Bottom Line
There are a few companies that make safety beds. Each one of us has a little different approach to the market and all have pro’s and cons. If you like what you see here and our bed meets your safety needs, please consider Beds by George. But whatever you decide, if your loved one needs a safety bed, do not compromise or try to just “get by” with something inadequate. …
I’ll just put a mattress on the floor?
First and foremost, this is a violation of most if not all state standards for appropriate bed options for ALL children. In those states it is grounds for removal of the child by Child Protective Services.
Floors are the dirtiest places in any home. Even with the best cleaning practices, floors have an increased presence of dander, dust, mold, etc. because that is where all that settles. Most medically fragile people have weaker respiratory and infection fighting systems that are aggravated when they spend more than 1 hour with their nose and mouth within 12 inches of the floor. Plus these mattresses and bedding products tend to get walked on… it is exceptionally difficult to maintain a clean sleeping environment.
Additionally in most cases there is an increased risk in entanglement and entrapment from loose bedding and the mattress itself. Burrowing under the mattress can lead to suffocation death. It only requires 10 pounds of force to slide a mattress on a floor far enough to create an unsafe gap between the mattress and wall, increasing the the chance of suffocation.
Why can’t I just use an inexpensive home hospital bed?
A hospital bed’s primary function is not safety. It does not have a 360 degree unbroken perimeter, the gaps in the side rails are generally too large for pediatric or special needs, the sides are too low to prevent falls from seated, kneeling or standing positions to list a few examples.
Why can’t I just buy a $30 side rail from a retail store?
Case 1: A 4-year-old boy with Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome, macrocephaly and severe developmental delay, was found dead with his head hanging over a wooden board attached to the side of his bed.
Case 2: A 4-year-old boy with lissencephaly and severe developmental delay was found dead wedged between a retractable mesh cot side and the side of his bed.
In both cases the devices resulting in death had been put in place to prevent the boys from falling out of bed.
source:
Accidental asphyxia in bed in severely disabled children
Authors: Amanuel, B1; Byard, RW
Source: Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, Volume 36, Number 1, February 2000 , pp. 66-68(3)
Publisher: Blackwell Publishing
Why can’t I just build my own?
You can. But there are some things to consider. Generally insurance will not pay for a product that is not from a medical equipment manufacturer registered with the FDA. Also keep in mind that a safety bed has years of development with specialized testing. The stresses on a safety bed frame are far greater than a normal bed. It is a challenge to build a product that is strong, safe on the interior, that opens and closes easily, and many more little details that all the manufacturers have taken years of research to develop.