Soma or Enclosure Beds... Cruel or not?

[Paws2people]

At my hospital we use Soma beds. Usually for the safety of dementia patients, or confused elderly ones. For awhile we weren't allowed to use them because family members of the patients and some employees deemed them as cruel "cages." In my opinion it is better to have a patient in a Soma bed versus posey vests, or wrist restraints, leathers, etc. Plus we have more CNA's available on the floor. Prior to these beds we had a ton of safety care/one to ones, in which a CNA would sit with these patients 24/7.

What is your hospital's restraint procedure for confused patients? Do you find these beds useful, or cruel?

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

Compared to a hip fracture or restraints- they're a blessing.

[elkpark]

My large academic medical center uses them sometimes as a less restrictive alternative to restraints

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

My workplace uses bed enclosures, also referred to as vail beds. While their appearance might disturb families, the only other alternatives are private sitters (not in the budget), frequent rounding (ain't nobody got time for that!), and seeing the patient sustain a broken hip after falling for the 15th time in a four hour period.

In my opinion, the vail bed is far better than the 100+ falls that would occur without it.

[Emergent, RN]

Life is cruel, dementia is cruel, budgetary considerations are cruel. In a perfect world I would be able to fly, we would all live in perfect harmony, and no one would ever suffer. Plus there would be free food, fruit on the trees, and everyone would be happy and healthy. And no cockroaches or thistle weeds.

In other words, these beds are the lessor of two evils. They are relatively good.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

My workplace uses bed enclosures, also referred to as vail beds. While their appearance might disturb families, the only other alternatives are private sitters (not in the budget), frequent rounding (ain't nobody got time for that!), and seeing the patient sustain a broken hip after falling for the 15th time in a four hour period.

In my opinion, the vail bed is far better than the 100+ falls that would occur without it.

Agree.

What's better: a person who is enclosed in a vail bed that can move around, or a pt on the floor with fractures and a possible hematoma.

I'm going with former; appearances be damned.

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

I've never heard of these before. Can someone post a photo?

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I've never heard of these before. Can someone post a photo?

Go to google.com and enter "vail bed image" in the search field. A bunch of pictures of vail beds will appear. I'd post a picture, but cannot because I am using my workplace's computer right now.

It basically looks like a cage wrapped with breathable synthetic mesh cloth. Staff has to unzip the vail bed from the outside to get it open.

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

What a marvelous idea.....far better than Posey vests or limb restraints. I'd rather see a confused loved one in a bed like this than regular restraints.

[studentnursemon86]

We don't have any enclosed beds. We have Hi-Lo beds that pretty much go to the floor to help prevent injuries if someone falls. We also have cushioned matts to put on either side of the bed on the floor.

Other than that, we have bed alarms that go off if the patients try to get out of bed, and mitts for patients who pull at tubes.

Many times they end up with a sitter because they keep challenging the bed checks.

Those beds sound way safer, but I could see how a family would be put off by it.

[ama3t]

Holy Guacamole. I work on a medical floor that specializes and Geriatrics and we have TONS of confused/dementia patients. I've never seen these beds. We ONLY use restraints of a patient it going to hurt someone, and sometimes not even then. (We had a pt pour coke on a nurse, then throw things at me, then pour coffee on a tech and still nothing). We are 6:1 at night. Sometimes we have half of those pts confused. We use bed alarms to prevent falls, ace wraps to try to keep IVs in. If that doesn't work we get a sitter. I honestly don't think the idea of those beds. It does seem cruel to me. I'd rather run in the room to a bed alarm going off and reorient my pt 20 times a night than feel like I'm caging them. Does this not just multiply agitation?!

[sistrmoon, BSN, RN]

I've never heard of these but I'm intrigued. We have a ton of one to ones, restraints, safety sits. Are they expensive? The appearance is pretty off putting though.