Ed Medical Inc.    

Equipment Instruction

(615) 822-8888 or 1-800-300-7513

HOSPITAL BEDS & SIDE RAILS                                             

• (Manual):                                                                            

1. Be sure the wheel locks on both rollers are engaged at all times.
2. Hand cranks are located either at the head or the foot of the bed. To raise or lower the height of the bed, use the crank located in the middle.
3. To raise or lower the head, turn the crank on the left when facing the bed.
4. To raise or lower the foot of the bed, turn the crank on the right.

NOTE: TURN CRANKS CLOCKWISE TO RAISE AND COUNTER CLOCKWISE TO LOWER

• Side rails should be raised whenever the patient is in the bed except during direct patient care with the attendant/nurse at the bedside. To lower side rails, pull the pin out at each end and lower one end at a time. To raise the side rails pull each end up, one at a time, and the pin will snap back into place to lock the side rail.

• (Electric):

1. Be sure the wheel locks on both rollers are engaged at all times.
2. The bed will be plugged into a regular-grounded outlet convenient to the bed.
3. The hand control is plugged into the bed and has button for raising and lower the foot and head. If this is a full electric bed, it will raise and lower the entire bed as well.
4. A hand crank is located under the mattress for emergencies in the event of a power failure. TURN CRANK CLOCKWISE TO RAISE AND COUNTER CLOCKWISE TO LOWER
5. Should the hand control fail to function, change wall outlets first. If some of the buttons work and some do not, contact the company.

 AMBULATORY AIDS                                                                                                             

• Canes/Quad Canes:                                                    

1. Canes are not designed to support your entire body weight. They are designed to support only 20-25% of your weight.
2. Hold the cane in the hand of the uninjured side.
3. The cane should be adjusted to the height of the break of the wrist, when patient is standing as straight as possible.

Once a month, check the rubber tip(s) on your canes and walkers to assure that they are not worn. If they need to be replaced, you may contact Ed Medical to order new tips.

• Walkers:                                                                       

1. Adjust the handgrips to a height at the break in the patient’s wrist. Have the patient grab the handgrips. The wrist should be straight and the elbows slightly bent (30 degrees).  Important:  The height adjustment is very important.  If the walker is adjusted too high, the patient is deigned use of essential upper body strength.  If it is adjusted too low, the patient will have to hunch over to use it effectively.  Your local Ed Med affiliate can help if needed.
2. Place the walker no further than 8-10 inches in front of the patient.
3. As the patient steps into the walker, the heel should form a line with the rear legs.
4. Prior to each use, check the spring buttons to verify that they are firmly engaged.

• Wheelchairs:                                                               

1. Always make sure the wheel locks are securely locked before the patient attempts to get into or out of the chair.
2. Footplates flip up and also swing away from the chair for safer and easier patient access into and out of the wheelchair.
3. If elevating leg rest are ordered, the leg rest will elevate one or both lower extremities to the degree indicated by the prescription. These will also swing away and detach. It is easier to transport the wheelchair with the Footplates or leg rest removed.
4. If detachable arms are ordered, the arms can be removed for transfer from right to left. When transferring, be sure the wheel locks are engaged.
5. The wheelchair will fold by grasping the seat upholstery at the front and rear of the seat and lifting up.
6. For reclining wheelchairs, be sure the locks are secured when the desired position is attained.
7. For power wheelchairs, make certain the unit is turned off to avoid accidentally engaging drive when getting in to or out of the chair.
8. Our company representative will help you determine any limitations you should consider when operating your power wheelchair.

• Recharging the Batteries:                    

Your Power wheelchair was delivered with a full charge.

For a longer battery life: Run the batteries down to the red zone on the charge indicator.

Your batteries should be charged overnight with the chair itself turned off.

Contact Ed Medical if the batteries start running down faster than normal.

Do not plug the chair in for short periods of time when not in use. This will shorten battery life. Batteries must cool down before use.    Want to know more?
 
  

Bathroom Safety Products:

• Bed side Commode:                                          

The bedside commode can be elevated to the desired height, by depressing the buttons on each leg and moving the leg to the desired position. Always wear gloves when emptying the bucket or cleaning the chair to avoid spread of infection.

The splashguard provided can be used for placing the chair directly over a commode to provide elevation.

• Bath seats and transfer benches:                    

The height of these products can be set by depressing the buttons on each leg and sliding the outer leg up or down to the desired height.

Check that the chair or bench is level prior to the patients using it. A grab bar may need to be installed to assure safe entry and exit

Other Accessories:                                                     

• Overhead Trapeze bars is intended to assist the patient when repositioning in bed. The bar should be secured tightly to the bed by the technician. All mounts for the bar should be tightened with pliers. Check these connections monthly to assure they haven’t loosened.

• Over bed tables should be adjusted to the desired height before placing over patient. Avoid excessive weight, and remove hot or heavy items prior to moving table over the patient or away from patient. Check the adjustment locks periodically by pushing down on the table when not placed over the patient.

 

Oxygen: