Posey Bed 8070 - Manual (Page 5)


Posey Bed 8070 5
The Posey Bed is a hospital bed, canopy, and mattress system designed to help provide a safe,
controlled environment for patients at extreme risk of injury from a fall or unassisted bed exit. The
Posey Bed is a less restrictive alternative to physical restraints such as belts, vests, or jackets for
patients at least 46 inches tall, weighing between 46 and 300 pounds. The Posey Bed is a restraint,
and must be prescribed by a licensed physician (Rx ONLY).
The bed must be used in accordance with:
• All state regulations
• Federal Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Regulations
• The patient’s care plan
• The policies of your facility
Patients who may benefit from the use of the Posey Bed include patients who are at extreme risk
for a fall and/or unassisted bed exit including those with:
• Severe osteoporosis,
• Severe risk of fractures due to clinical conditions,
• Insufficient muscle, fat, and subcutaneous tissue to absorb the impact of a fall,
• Concurrent use of anticoagulants,
• A history of severe trauma in a prior fall,
• Conditions that cause uncontrollable movement such as Huntington’s Disease.
Certain patients at-risk for a serious injury from a fall may also benefit from the use of the Posey
Bed. This includes patients with behavioral, physical, mental or other symptoms identified by the
IDHT such as:
• Musculoskeletal problems that cause an unsteady gait or impaired strength or biomechanics,
• Altered awareness due to medication or neural illnesses or conditions that impair alertness
and balance, and/or dementing illnesses, 1
• Visual or peripheral neuropathies that impair positional sense.
Most falls occur in Neurology and Medical units, with the highest rate in Oncology units. Fall
rates may be higher in units with higher patient to nurse ratios. 2
indications for use
Bed use
Patients Who may
Benefit
Clinical
Conditions
Falls
about the Posey Bed 8070
1 Dementia patients are at increased risk of falls. This may be due to impaired judgment, altered gait, and/or sensory deficits. Ellelt, Anne “Keeping Dementia Residents
Safe” Assisted Living Consult, Sept/Oct 2007, page 20.
2 Hitcho, Eileen B. et al., “Characteristics and Circumstances of Falls in a Hospital Setting” JGIM, Volume 19, July 2004.