Hello
I am asking for advice on behalf of my grandmother. She is in her nineties, and needs to sleep sitting up. If she doesn’t water pools on her lungs and she is unable to breath.
She has special pillows which help her stay in a sitting position, but on the odd occasion this isn’t enough and can end up on her back. Can anyone offer advice on how to prevent her from slipping down in the bed during the night?
Any advice received will be enormously welcome
Many thanks
Hi @daved2424 - What a blessing she has in you, a caring grandchild 
Let me ask you-- is there a headboard-foot board? Is it a hospital bed? I do have a solution if there is a foot board. Let me know, please.
Yes it has both. It is the 3ft wide version of this bed… https://forums.beyond.ca/threads/277080-FS-Ikea-Silver-Metal-Frame-Bed
I would go to the lumber store and put 2"x12" boards under the headboard feet. Go from 2" to 4" to 6" in stages will accomplish a lot. A lot of people have acid reflux at night and adding a couple of inches to the head board has helped to reduce backflow. No one I know has yet to slip off either.
I am drawing you a picture of what I mean (will scan it and put it here), but essentially you are putting some (nailed together) cloth-covered/ padded boards actually in the bed. It starts where her feet end and it reaches to the foot board so it acts like a prop. If her feet are up against it, she will not slide down and will remain on her back. Easily removed when not needed too.
Is an easy chair an option?
I’m thinking along those same lines. In this case a recliner would be an excellent choice.
Recliners are expensive. If that’s not an option check out foam wedges. How about a velcro strap to keep her upright? Just thinking “not expensive” ways here.
Walmart
This seems like a good idea. I think I might give this a try. Many thanks for your suggestion.
There are adjustable beds that raise and lower kinda like the ones in the hospital.
I think you need to provide the adjustable bed that your grandmother can control also her position.
Yes. As long as you’re able to get comfortable and recline slightly, you’ll sleep as well sitting up as you would lying down. For this reason, passengers should remember to stretch their legs or shift positions periodically, and should avoid strong sleeping pills that may immobilize them.
It is doable but it is not in a healthy position. And yes, do avoid strong sleeping pills, this may cause harm. If you do have a reclining chair, that would be better ergonomically.
A. Sleeping sitting up in a recliner shouldn’t be harmful. It could, in some cases, raise your risk of deep-vein thrombosis, a blood clot in a limb that can occur if your arms or legs are bent and you are motionless for hours. This sometimes occurs in people who sit still for long periods of time in an airplane seat.
We added an adjustable frame to our sleep number bed and I’ve seen ads for similar frames for regular mattresses. I did not like being in a recliner to sleep after shoulder surgery–lasted 1 1/2 hours the first night–so being able to adjust the bed was perfect. The Zero Gravity setting (invented for astronauts) is like sitting up and is surprisingly comfortable with no back pains. Wedge pillows made my back ache. Raising the head with boards as someone suggested would give a better angle than the pillows. Some people like the inflatable mattresses that have an angled raised head or a built in rounded pillow. And there are pool floats with a chair style with arms that she might like to try on top of the bed. Medical Air mattresses are often used to prevent bed sores.
A. Sleeping sitting up in a recliner shouldn’t be harmful. It could, in some cases, raise your risk of deep-vein thrombosis, a blood clot in a limb that can occur if your arms or legs are bent and you are motionless for hours. This sometimes occurs in people who sit still for long periods of time in an airplane seat.
Agree, to my mind it depends on the quality of recliner/lift chairs(like these for example). They are helpful for elders who should not apply pressure on their back and legs but can be used by anyone who needs some support standing up. Sorry for upd. Smth strange with my internet