My mom has had severe falls at the nursing home and they will not allow us to order a hospital bed to protect her. They did allow bumpers. However, the staff does not apply them properly at times and sometimes not at all. We visit often and have had to direct then to place the bumpers on the bed. My mom said one aid told her, "You don't need those bumpers," when in fact she does. We asked the care planning team about ordering another type bed and they said no.
What the hospital bed can do is be lowered as low as possible so that when she does fall out of bed she is less likely to get hurt.
But a facility can NOT use the side rails on a hospital bed.
The facility can place another mattress next to her bed so that when she falls it will soften the fall.
they can use wedges or tubes to create a "cradle" to keep her centered on the mattress. But they can not be large enough that it would be considered a "restraint"
They may, in the case of severe skin breakdown, order special mattresses for protection of skin. That's about it.
There is also such a thing as a concave mattress that makes her ability to get out or roll out of bed much more difficult.
Residents that are at risk of rolling out of bed get gym pads placed on the floor next to the bed that has been dropped to the floor.
Bedrails are typically no longer used in Florida nursing homes as more residents were dying from choking after rolling into the bedrails. Bedrails are considered restraints and CNA's must check the resident pretty frequently when used.
I tried when my wife fell out of bed and broke her wrist.