Bariatric and Heavy-Duty Hospital Bed Rental in Calgary

Who this rental is for, and when it is needed

People usually reach this page after a care team has said a standard bed will not do. A patient leaving Peter Lougheed Centre after a long admission may weigh more than a standard bed’s 350 lb patient rating, or may be within it but not fit a 36-inch surface, with shoulders against both rails and no room to turn over. Either one is a reason to move to a heavy-duty frame.

It is also a decision for the caregivers. Repositioning a larger adult in a narrow bed takes two people and a lot of strain. A wider deck gives room to roll the person toward one side for washing or a sheet change, and a bed that rises high lets two caregivers work at the same height without bending. We set these beds up for discharges from Foothills Medical Centre and South Health Campus, for people whose mobility has dropped after a long illness, and for palliative care where a larger person wants to stay in their own home.

Weight is a sensitive subject, and we treat it as a measurement. Give us the most recent weight from the hospital chart and any change the team expects. We choose the bed from that, and nobody at the door needs to raise it again.

Choosing the right one

Choose by the patient rating first, then width. If the person weighs up to 500 lb and a 42-inch surface is comfortable, the Drive bed is usually the fit, and its 42-inch frame is easier to place in a standard bedroom. If they weigh more than 500 lb, up to Invacare’s 675 lb patient maximum, or need more than 42 inches to turn, the BAR750 is the better bed. The BAR750 also suits a situation that may change, because the width can be set narrow now and opened later. On both beds, a heavy pressure mattress uses up part of the total rating.

Against the rest of the category: our standard full-electric beds are rated around a 350 lb patient on a 36-inch surface, so needs beyond that belong here. A low bed does not solve a weight problem, since the low beds in our class carry standard ratings. And on a bariatric bed the mattress is not something to think about later. Ask the care team about the surface in the same conversation as the bed, because a mattress rated below the person’s weight limits the whole setup.

Paying for the rental

Bariatric beds fall under the same AADL rules as other homecare beds. The program can fund one for an Albertan with a long-term need, meaning palliative and wishing to stay home, or in bed for 80 per cent of the day or more, once an authorizer such as a nurse, OT or PT has assessed them. AADL beds remain the property of the Government of Alberta and come from recycled stock first. AADL does not pay rental charges for temporary or short-term use, including needs before or after surgery. If AADL is funding a bed that has not arrived yet, a monthly rental can cover the gap at the family’s own cost.

For workplace or private benefits, ask the physician for a prescription or written recommendation that names the bed type and, ideally, why a heavy-duty frame is needed. Then ask the insurer whether rentals are eligible and whether they want a cost estimate first; we supply the estimate and itemized monthly receipts. If the equipment relates to a WCB claim, WCB must approve it before you rent, and WCB arranges beds and mattresses through its own chosen vendors. Veterans Affairs Canada clients need a prescription from a VAC-approved health professional. GST on a hospital bed depends on whether a qualifying health professional has written an order for it, so send us any order you have and we will confirm the tax before invoicing.