Alarm Sensor Mats & Bed Sensor Pads: How they work and what to look for
When putting elderly patients, clients and family members to bed at night, it would be great to have a guarantee that they will be safe until the morning time. It would also create peace of mind and give reassurance to the caregiver.
In care environments there is always a possibility that the worst can happen and that someone can suffer an unexpected fall or wander during the night. The need for extra safety measures is imperative when working with certain sections of the care population.
Caring for people with a high risk of falling out of bed and dementia type conditions can be challenging, especially when it comes to bed time. Many people with these conditions can be unstable on their feet and/or have a tendency to wander around.
Alarm sensor mats are part of the solution to this problem, as they are designed to give peace of mind and improve the safety of the person being cared for and improve the care that you provide.
Undetected falls and accidents with patients who have dementia or a high risk of falling can lead to poor care outcomes and unnecessary distress.
What are Alarm Sensor Mats & Bed Sensor Pads?
In a nutshell alarm sensor mats and bed sensor pads are pressure activated alarm systems which help to notify the care giver of a change in position of the person being cared for.
Alarm sensor mats gives a notification when pressure is exerted upon it – for example if someone falls out of bed or steps out of bed on to the mat, the alarm is triggered.
With a bed sensor pad when a person moves off the pad it can trigger a notification to the caregiver to advise that someone has moved off the bed.
Why are Alarm Sensor Mats & Bed Sensor Pads Important?
These types of devices are commonly used with dementia patients due to a higher risk of them falling out of bed or wandering.
An early notification of a fall or a wandering patient can be vital to reducing accidents and improving care.
Patients with a high risk of falling within busy environments such as a hospital or care home, when a person cannot be watched all of the time, will benefit from devices like this.
No matter how good the care that you or your organisation provide, it’s widely recognised that patients/clients cannot be watched all of the time.
An alarm sensor or bed sensor has the ability to be an extra reassurance and improve safety of both patients/clients and workers.
What are the features of Alarm Sensor Mats & Bed Sensor Pads?
There are many different features of these products – your environment and client needs will dictate which one will be most suitable.
There are a range of products and information available which can help you to make that decision.
Fall Alarms have a number of features available. Remember to check each of the following when choosing an alarm – here is a summary of the key features:
- Shape & Size - Fall Alarms & Sensor Mats come in a range of shapes and sizes. The two common shapes are square or rectangular – the shape you will choose will depend on the surface you need them for. Larger mats will be ideal for a bed, smaller may be better for the floor.
- Power – mains powered via a cable are a popular choice but if you require portable power supplies there are battery powered mats. These units come with a low battery warning to ensure there are no breaks in power.
- Nurse call integration - in a hospital environment, you may wish to consider integrating the pads to the nurse call system to provide swift notification and response, especially in larger care environments.
- Alarm tones - a selection of alarm tones are available. In care environments there may be many alarms, and this can be confusing. A specific alarm tone can be selected to help avoid confusion. Most devices have a dial to increase or decrease the volume of the alarm
Conclusion
That concludes our guide to alarm sensor mats and pads. These devices help to protect those at a high risk of falling and dementia patients who may tend to wander.
They help to improve safety of people being cared for but also peace of mind for care givers.
If you have any queries about these fall alarm / sensor mat products Breeze Mobility has a team of experts who can answer any questions you may have on these and any other care products.