Exploring Hospital Beds for Home Care - Comprehensive Rehabilitation Consultants (2025)

A hospital bed is an adjustable bed that gives users enhanced positioning controls to improve comfort, as well as improved sleep, circulation, safety, and to support caregiver assistance. They are valuable home care tools that have greatly evolved over the years, and with technology, have become smaller and easier to assemble, transport, and control. Sometimes referred to as an “electric bed,” they are capable of various adjustments to rise, lower, elevate, and recline.

Who Are They For?

Hospital beds are best suited for anyone with mobility issues, and can address various illnesses and disabilities, such as:

Those who cannot change positions in a normal bed due to medical conditions like breathing issues, congestive heart failure, or cardiovascular illnesses.
Hospital beds with rails can provide an extra layer of safety for patients who are at risk of rolling out of their beds while sleeping, or who may need support for getting in and out of bed.
At-home hospital beds are beneficial for caregivers to assist patients by adjusting their position, relieving strain by raising the bed to an appropriate height for care.
Patients that need incontinence or bathing care.
Patients with injuries to the lower extremities, spinal cord injuries, or limb amputees.
Preventing bedsores by removing pressure on affected areas and allowing the patient to turn and reposition themselves regularly.

What Are the Benefits?

People with disabilities or injuries may need a hospital bed to achieve maximum comfort as they navigate their circumstances; in some cases, tasks like sitting up or being bathed may be impossible without one. Having a hospital bed at home can help many people avoid or postpone assisted living or nursing home placement. These beds can be bought or rented for short-term care, and Pub Med’s study found that investing in an at-home hospital bed can help patients save 19% on overall health care.

Additionally, having an at-home hospital bed can improve quality of life by allowing the patient to adjust their positioning to help them get in and out of bed, find a more comfortable resting position, and relieve pain or discomfort for better sleep.

Types of Hospital Beds

There are various types of hospital beds best suited for different conditions, each with its own advantages. Here is an overview:

Full-Electric: A completely electronic bed that comes with a remote and control buttons on the side. Fully adjustable using both the remote and buttons, designed for ease of use.
Semi-Electric: These beds have some electronic controls along with a hand crank to adjust the height. The manual adjustment may require significant effort from the caregiver, and these beds typically cost less than fully electronic models.
Low: Ideal for patients at high risk of falling, of short stature, or with mobility issues. Low hospital beds are adjustable but maintain a lower overall height, usually around a foot above the ground. They are typically fully electric and not recommended for tall patients who might have difficulty getting in and out.
Bariatric: Specially designed to support heavyweight patients, these beds are fully electric with a wider mattress area. Due to their larger and sturdier design, they tend to be among the most expensive options.
Trendelenburg: Offers the highest number of adjustment options, allowing individual adjustments for parts such as the feet and head. Because these beds require more space, they are the most expensive support surfaces available.
Powered and Air-Fluidized: These beds, which may be semi-electric or fully electric, come with a fully integrated powered mattress designed to reduce friction and shear, with a total height of 3 inches or greater.

Hospital Bed Cost, Insurance, and Payment Plans

According to Consumer Affairs, hospital bed costs start at around $500 and can reach tens-of-thousands of dollars. Renting can cost between $200 and $500 per month, depending on the bed type. Other costs to consider include:

Mattress: Also known as a “support surface,” different types of mattresses are required depending on the patient’s condition—foam, air-filled, water-filled, Tempur-Pedic, or memory foam. It is important to “try before you buy” and consult with your doctor for recommendations. Examples include:
- Envella Air Fluidized Therapy Bed: Created by Hillrom, this bed heals complex wounds by pushing air through millions of tiny beads in the mattress, creating a fluid-like environment to minimize pressure and control skin temperature.
- Volkner Turning System: This mattress and overlay help with pressure sore healing by turning the patient every 10 minutes, maintaining blood flow throughout the body while relieving pressure from high-risk areas.
- Tradewine Series Mattress System: These systems feature three dual-mode pumps that alternate pressures to redistribute air, and they come with a remote for independent control.
- Invacare microAIR Alternating Pressure Low Air Loss Mattress System: This system cycles through inflation and deflation (3:1 cycle) to relieve pressure, holds up to 600 lbs, and can be fully inflated within seconds.
- Freedom Bed: Originally designed for spinal cord injury patients, this computer-controlled, self-rotating bed rotates the patient to restore blood flow in all limbs.
Sheets: Also known as “overlays,” these include slide sheets that reduce friction when moving or turning in bed.
Hospital Table Bed: Tables that swing over the bed to provide a surface for eating or drinking, available in retail stores and online.

For those interested in financial assistance or acquiring a hospital bed through insurance, support may be available if hospital beds are considered medical supplies. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) classify hospital beds as durable medical equipment (DME) and will reimburse the cost of rentals or purchases under certain conditions:

Medicare: Insured individuals under Medicare Part B may file a claim for up to 80% of the cost, provided they have a doctor’s prescription that details their condition and the necessity of the bed, are under regular care, and use providers participating in Medicare.
Medicaid: Depending on state DME coverage policies, Medicaid can help pay for both hospital bed purchases and rentals.
Veterans: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs pays for home hospital beds when deemed medically necessary by a doctor.

If you have additional questions relating to hospital bed care, talk to one of our case managers or life care planners today to see what options may be available for you.

Sources

PrevPreviousSee us at the 24th Annual Family Cafe!

NextAn Overview of Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) and Wheelchair TechnologyNext