From Rest to Recovery: The Crucial Role of Patient Beds in Healing

With thanks to you and other caring community members, this year, Guelph General Hospital upgraded 13 patient beds throughout the hospital.

All patient care equipment at Guelph General is funded by donations. That includes things as fundamental as patient beds.

“In my experience as a nurse — and now as the Hospital’s director of medicine — the right one can make a big difference,” says Emily, Director of Medicine at GGH. “It’s my goal to upgrade all of Guelph General’s beds so that every patient benefits from the most current innovations in comfort, safety and healing.”

If you’re admitted to one of the hospital’s medical units, the GGH team is there to help you get better as quickly as possible. Part of that is making sure you’re able to get the rest you need.

Think about how much better you feel after a good night’s sleep. That’s even more important when your body is healing.

The latest generation of hospital beds don’t just offer comfort — they’re designed to prevent the complications that can prolong recovery.

When you spend a lot of time lying down, there’s a risk of developing pressure sores. High quality beds can reduce pressure injuries by more than 30%. This is especially important for older patients because their skin becomes more fragile.

The new “smart” beds are equipped with air mattresses that reduce pressure on vulnerable parts of the body and adjust with you when you move. They also cool your skin, so there’s less chance for bacteria to grow and cause infections.

They even prevent falls, with automatic adjusters that keep the bed at a safe height and alarms that can be set to alert nurses if you get up. That’s incredibly important when you think about how a fall can set back healing, or worse.

By giving these new beds to Guelph General, you’re not only looking after patients, you’re also looking after the healthcare team.

Nursing can take a real toll on the body. The right patient beds can reduce staff injuries — and that means fewer missed shifts.

These new beds lower right down, making transfers to a wheelchair or walker easier and safer. Advanced turn-assist features allow a nurse or Personal Support Worker to turn a patient single-handed.

And special lights on the underside let staff see at a glance whether the right safety settings are on — even from the hallway.

Last year, Guelph General had over fourteen-thousand patient admissions. Having a patient bed available for each and every one of these patients was the very first step in their care journey.

Thank you for playing a role in their care journey by giving them a comfortable and safe bed to rest and recover.