What is a hospital bed overlay mattress ?

For users who spend most of their time on the bed, the kind of mattresses they use is very important for their well-being and health. A hospital bed overlay mattresses are additional mattresses that can be placed onto the hospital bed to increase the comfort of users for the time they spent on the hospital bed. 

Hospital overlay mattress can achieve different objectives, depending on the type of you choose. There are 2 main types available in the market:

1. Alternating pressure air mattress
2. Cool gel mattress

Why use a hospital bed overlay mattress?

Motorise hospital beds are equipped with adjustable bed frame which can help keep users in different positions. Adjustable bed frame prevents body stiffness, bed sores and increase comfort through changing the position of the user.

There are also accessories that can be used with the hospital beds to increase the comfort of the user. One of the recommended hospital bed accessory is the overlay mattresses.

There are many benefits to using a hospital bed mattress:

1. Hospital bed mattresses are specially designed to meet the needs of a functioning hospital bed. The mattress’ ability to fold prevents damage to the mattress and makes for easy storage when not in use.
2. These mattresses improve blood circulation for the patient and allow them to comfortably alternate pressure points. This reduces the likelihood of bed-ridden patients developing bed sores from prolonged periods of lying.

At Medical Assistance4u, we have a variety of hospital bed mattresses to suit the needs of your loved one.

Besides choosing the right mattress, choosing the right hospital bed is also important for both the user and their caregiver.

Choosing the right hospital bed overlay mattress

There are 2 common types of hospital bed mattresses:

1. Air mattresses
2. Gel mattresses

Air mattress

Air mattresses promote blood circulation and prevent bedsores from prolonged skin surface contact with the bed.

The air pressure of the Alternating Pressure Mattress is easily adjusted with an air pump to suit the user’s weight. The air pump has a pressure gauge that can be adjusted to continuously pump in suitable amount of air for the air mattress to be comfortable for the user. Increase the air pump for a more turgid air mattress and decrease it for a flaccid air mattress.

Tips: The grey waterproof surface should be the contact surface that the user lays on. The waterproof surface not only serves as a protection layer between the bed and the user that prevents fluid seeping and staining, it also reduces the friction applied when there is movement on the mattress which can shorten the lifespan of the air mattress. 

If the blue surface is exposed to friction, the lifespan of the air mattress will be greatly shortened due to wear and tear, especially when the user moves on the air mattress. This wear and tear will cause the tubing delivering air to the air sacs to rupture, causing small holes in the tubes. 

Gel mattress 

Gel mattresses are an alternative to air mattresses and are made with a special gel-infused memory foam. This type of mattress is designed to prevent body aches while providing adequate support throughout the night. Additionally, the mattress can regulate body temperature by drawing heat from the body and keeping the body cool throughout the night.

On the downside, gel mattresses might not work for everyone especially in warmer climates like Singapore. While the memory foam component cushions the body, it tends to trap air and raise the temperature of the bedding, resulting in night sweats which will eventually worsen and result in painful bed sores. 

Choosing air mattress over gel mattress

Air mattress is a better option over gel mattress as a hospital bed overlay. Air mattress have the function of alternating pressure and adjustment of turgidity of the mattress. This provides the user pulsing movement, increasing air flow between the air mattress and the skin of the user. Increasing air flow reduces heat retention and incidents of bed sores, increasing the comfort level for the user. 

Air mattress maintenance 

Mattresses used for patients require more frequent cleaning and maintenance. Air mattresses make this a convenient task with their light weight.

Here are 5 common parts of your medical air mattress to regularly check for wear-and-tear and replace when necessary:

1. Air pump
2. Air mattress cover
3. Air bladder
4. Air bed hose
5. Power cord

At Medical Assistance4u

Air mattress is one of the hospital bed accessories we offer at Medical Assistance4u. We also offer many more hospital bed accessories to increase the comfort level for the user and reduce physical strains on the caregiver. Our team of medically trained staff at Medical Assistance4u can provide you with consultation services to assist you in finding the hospital bed and accessories you need and the most suitable safety tools for your loved ones.

Unsure of how to integrate the products into your existing structure? We also provide delivery and installation services within Singapore.