Hospital sheets are different from standard home sheets because hospital bed have different dimensions and different mechanical requirements. Many people attempt to use standard home sheets on hospital beds, but standard home sheets often fail to stay in place when a hospital bed adjust. Hospital beds use adjustable frames that move up and down, and these movements causes standard home sheets to bunch up or slide off the mattress.
Therefore, you must select hospital sheets that are designed to accommodate the specific width, length, and depth of a hospital mattress. A hospital mattress often has a different depth than a standard home mattress, and the depth of the mattress determine the required pocket depth of a fitted sheet. If a fitted sheet does not have enough pocket depth, the fitted sheet will pop off the mattress when the bed frame move.
How to Choose Hospital Bed Sheets
For example, a standard hospital mattress might be five inches thick, but a bariatric hospital mattress might be eight inches thick. Because a bariatric hospital mattress is thicker, a bariatric hospital mattress require a fitted sheet with a much deeper pocket. If you use a fitted sheet with a shallow pocket on a thick mattress, the fitted sheet will not wrap around the mattress fully, and the fitted sheet will slip off.
Hospitals use a layering system involving three specific types of sheets: a flat top sheet, a fitted bottom sheet, and a draw sheet. The flat top sheet provide coverage for the patient, and the fitted bottom sheet grips the mattress to keep the bed covered. Additionally, hospitals use a draw sheet which is placed in the middle of the bed layers.
The draw sheet is typically half the width of a standard sheet, and a caregiver places the draw sheet across the torso area of the patient. A caregiver can grab the edges of the draw sheet to lift or reposition a patient, and using a draw sheet makes the process of repositioning a patient more easy and safer for the caregiver. If you dont use a draw sheet, you may experience more physical strain when you attempt to move a patient in a hospital bed.
Different bed types requires different sheet sizes because the sizes are tuned to the specific bed frame. A standard single hospital sheet is built to fit narrow frames, and a standard single hospital sheet is long enough to be tucked securely under the mattress. Bariatric beds are wider to accommodate more weight, but bariatric beds is also longer so that the sheets can be tucked securely.
Pediatric beds are narrower than standard beds because pediatric beds are designed for smaller patients and crib rails. You must match the sheet size to the specific bed type because a mismatch in sheet size will result in gaps in the bedding or sheets that do not reach the ends of the bed. The material of the hospital sheet affect how the sheet performs during washing and how the sheet feels to the patient.
Cotton percale is a material that breathe well, and cotton percale can handle industrial washing processes. Polycotton blends are materials that resist wrinkles, and polycotton blends can withstand bleach cycles used to kill germs. Microfiber is a material that dries quickly, and microfiber is a practical choice for home care settings.
Because hospitals wash hospital linens at very high temperatures to kill germs, you should choose sheet materials that is durable. When you are preparing a home hospital bed, you should measure the width, the length, and the depth of the mattress before you purchase any sheets. You must measure the depth because the depth of the mattress is a critical factor in whether a fitted sheet will stay on the mattress.
You should also purchase sets of sheets so that the flat sheets, the fitted sheets, and the draw sheets all matches in size. Finally, you should check the care labels on the sheets because home washing machines do not use the same heat levels as industrial hospital washers. If you measure the mattress correctly and select the correct sheet materials, the hospital sheets will remain secure on the hospital bed.
