Should You Buy or Rent a Hospital Bed? Cost, Space and the 6-Month Rule

Should You Buy or Rent a Hospital Bed? Cost, Space and the 6-Month Rule

When you need help with your parents, the daily challenge of space, strength, and time begins to mount with each step of the process. A hospital bed might appear to be appropriate, but these decisions do not come easy. You have the patient’s situation, recovery time, daily needs, and the size of your room to consider, including the risk of purchasing equipment you’ll need to remove from your home later.

A hospital bed must be flexible for the recovery process and changing care needs. It must help prevent unsafe transfers for your parent’s safety. For a longer-term scenario, your parent’s needs will require accessibility and adjustability for your parent’s daily routine.

When the expected need for a hospital bed is less than 6 months, the renting option is generally the best choice. The opposite is true for a need expected to be more than 6 months in length.

The 6-month rule is more of a planning tool than an official standard, and thus your parent’s medical needs, your home layout, and rental options are all still key elements in your decision.

Functionality of a Hospital Bed

As compared to beds found outside of hospital or medical settings, hospital beds have features that allow them to be adjusted to fit specific needs of patients. For example, some models can raise the back or legs, change height, facilitate easier and safer transfers, and have additional space meant for accessories. These features can help the caregiver to place the patient in the right position for eating, resting, and other personal care activities.

It should be noted that not all care issues will be resolved by the bed. Your parent may still fall if your parent has poor balance or strength.

A caregiver should ensure that the bed is adjusted properly and ensure that the bed’s safety features are working. Beds recommended for such patients should be prescribed by their doctors.

When Should a Bed Be Rented?

Renting is suitable for situations that are likely to be short term. This can include a period after a surgical procedure, a temporary hospital stay, recovery after a fracture, or after joint surgery.

The greatest advantage of renting is the flexibility that comes along with it. After recovery is complete, there is no need to store a large bed. Also, there is no need for a significant investment for a product that is typically only needed for a defined period of time. Rental companies usually provide delivery and installation services, routine maintenance, and replacements.

Know the total cost of rent before signing. Know the cost of delivery, installation, and pick-up, the monthly cost of rent, the security deposit, the length of time you have to rent, service terms, and the cost of pick-up. Who does the repairs, and what happens if the bed stops working? Does the price include the mattress, side rails, wheels, and remote control?

Renting a bed is actually a great way to maximize limited space. A bed takes up the same amount of room as before, but you now have a plan to get everyone out. Those who are renting the bed will come pick it up when you don’t need it anymore.

When Buying Makes More Sense

Buying also makes sense if you think your parent may need a bed for a long and potentially unforeseeable amount of time. This is also true if you think the bed may be needed for extended periods of time for multiple, repeat, or undetermined admissions, or if you anticipate that other family members may need to use the bed in the future.

You do have more control of the bed if you buy it, as you won’t have to arrange to have it picked up, and you won’t have ongoing rental costs or fees. You also avoid monthly fees after recovering the purchase cost. The financial benefits all depend on the purchase cost, how much you expect to use it, and how much you expect to sell it for later.

Buying a bed still has costs associated with it. Measure the space needed for the bed before ordering, plan how the bed will be moved into the house, and make sure you take the width of doorways into consideration. Make sure you have enough space for a caregiver and bed exit routes, and avoid tight spaces with rugs.

The 6-Month Rule Examined

The 6-month rule is based on calculating the overall cost of renting versus buying and comparing them for the expected period of use.

First, consider the following three things:

1. Cost of renting each month, and any other costs that are of a recurring nature.
2. Services that accompany the renting, such as delivery, installation, deposit, and pick-up, which are costs that are of a one-time nature.
3. Cost of purchase, delivery, installation, access service costs, and expenses related to potential repairs.

Once you have these, multiply the rental cost each month by the expected period of use, and then add the one-time costs. Finally, see how this amount compares with the total ownership cost.

One example is renting a bed for four months. If the total of this rental, including delivery and pick-up, is less than the cost of buying, then generally, it is better financially to rent.

However, if the total of a one-year rental and the cost related to service are greater than the total cost of a bed, then it is prudent to buy the bed.

6 months should not be viewed as a hard and fast break-even point. The cost of renting and the cost of buying a bed vary between different cities, different providers, and the bed itself. A low purchase price is not indicative of a better deal if the bed does not provide service support and does not meet your parent’s needs.

A good strategy is to do some calculations. In the first instance, the calculations should be based on a 3-month period, and then again for a 1-year period. This shows the financial impact of uncertainty. Ask the provider if the rental, if purchased, will result in no additional delivery charges.

Do Not Forget the Mattress

Mattresses are often an afterthought, yet they should deliberately come first. The more time a person spends in bed, the more attention should be paid to the mattress. Ask your case management team to help you with positioning, the timing of skin checks, moisture management, and the prevention of pressure injuries.

While a pressure-relieving mattress tends to help with pressure management and comfort, it does not replace frequent repositioning, skin checks, hygiene, nutrition, or medical assessments.

The AGEasy Air Mattress is a product you should consider when you begin to develop a home-care plan. Remember that this is a support item within a care plan. Ensure that the mattress will fit your bed and power requirements, and check that it will meet your parent’s needs and the instructions for care.

How to Choose the Right Option for Your Parent

While developing a care plan, consider the end goal, which is the bed, and not the start goal, which is the catalogue. Write down the expected duration of the bed, the caregiver support, the frequency of needed assisted transfers, and whether there will be any home nurse visits.

Once the end goal is set, analyse the room. Measure the available length and width of the bed space. Be sure to measure the width of the doorways. Moving a bed that is too large will complicate care and can increase the risk of injury during transfers.

Compare features to real needs. Bed height becomes important if your parent needs assistance getting up. Adjustable beds with brakes can be used for transfers. If frequent care occurs at night, the bed must be accessible to the caregiver. Paying for features that are not used in your parent's routine is a waste of money.

Ask the Supplier the Following Questions:

1. Who delivers and installs the bed?
2. What happens when a motor, wheel, or remote stops working?
3. Are side rails included, and how should they be used?
4. What is the weight limit?
5. Does the mattress fit the frame?
6. What instructions do caregivers need to know about cleaning and safety?
7. What happens at the end of a rental period?

When a Clinical Review Is Important

If your parent has recently fallen or had surgery, developed a wound, is short of breath, showing signs of weakness, has a low level of alertness, or needs frequent repositioning, you must speak with a healthcare professional before arranging for a hospital bed. Sudden onset of any of these symptoms requires an emergency medical assessment.

A hospital bed aids the delivery of care to your parent at home. It does not provide a medical diagnosis, nor does it offer a substitute for the absence of healthcare services or nursing.

Your parent's circumstances might require a different mattress, method of support during transfers, pressure care, or a different level of supervision.

The Realistic Decision

For a temporary need: rent. For storage space or if your family needs time to think about longer-term care: rent.

For the bed taking more than 6 months to use: buy. If you expect to use the bed long enough that total rental costs exceed the purchase price: buy.

For middle-of-the-road situations: rent for a month and figure it out from there. Use what you learn from the short-term rental to help you make a decision regarding purchasing. Think about bed use and how the room has been set up in relation to the care tasks for the month and how the bed and room adjustments can help to alleviate troubling care tasks.

A bed must fit the room, help with the care plan, and enable caregivers to perform care tasks safely.

Disclaimer

This article is for general information and is not meant as medical advice. Please consult a doctor or qualified healthcare professional for advice concerning your parent's medical condition and mobility, risk of pressure injury, and home-care needs. Prices and availability of products and rental contracts change frequently.