A rotating disability bed is a specialist adjustable bed that turns a mattress platform into a chair to help the user to stand. These beds are also known as turning adjustable beds, rotating chair beds, sit-to-stand beds, rotoflex beds, rota-pro beds and electric rotating beds.
Opera's RotoBed® range is designed to offer advanced functionality to enable independence whilst also being stylishly designed to blend with home interiors. This guide will help you select and customise the most suitable rotating chair bed for your needs.
1. Consider your requirements
Firstly, and most importantly, you need to assess your requirements and identify what you need the bed to do for you.
- How difficult is it to get out of your current bed?
- Are you able to get out of a seated position unassisted?
- Once standing, do you need a frame/hoist to help you walk?
Ideally, you need to write down all these needs so that when selecting a turning bed, you choose a design that best meets each need. If you have a personal care, occupational therapist or district nurse, it may help for you to create this list with them.
Need help identifying your requirements? Call our advice team for a personal consultation on 0333 222 8584.
2. Select a bed model
Next, it’s time to choose a model that meets your requirements. For Opera's RotoBed® range this is straightforward with two models: the Home is a fixed-height rotating bed; whereas the Free has full height adjustment. If you have a fixed height bed at the moment and have enough upper-body strength to get up form a seated position, then the Home will be sufficient. However, if you need the chair to raise to provide extra support and/or you require nursing on the bed, the Free is more suitable. Both rotating chair beds are cleverly designed to look like items of furniture and upholstery colour options mean you can specify a bed that will blend well with existing interiors.
RotoBed® Home
The Home is a fixed-height rotating bed but the turntable and mattress adjustments are still fully electric. A low footboard enhances the appearance of the bed and means an unobstructed sightline out of the end of the bed. The Home in summary:
- Fixed height (three positions available)
- Electric back/leg rests and rotating chair
- Wired and wireless handset options
- Low footboard design
- Priced from £5995
RotoBed® Free
The Free is a height adjustable rotating bed which is electrically operated by a wired handset control. The mattress back/leg rest and rotation to chair are also all electrically operated through the same handset. The Free in summary:
- Electrically height adjustable: 32-82cm
- Electric back/leg rests and rotating chair
- Head/foot board upholstery options
- Castors with easy braking
- Priced from £8995
3. Configure width, handset, sides and upholstery
4. Specify a mattress
The final option to consider when buying a rotating/turning disability bed for the home is a mattress. Mattresses for rotating chair beds have to be extremely flexible and are usually constructed from impressionable foams that are hinged on the sections that bend. All mattresses for Opera’s rotating beds have a sturdy anchor fastening system on the underside to firmly secure the mattress to the adjustable/rotating platform. There are three options of mattress available, all of wipe-clean water resistant covers:
a. SafeSleep Mattress
A layered pressure relieving foam mattress that ensures outstanding comfort whilst helping to prevent bed sores. The mattress is a medium firmness.
b. BariaSleep Mattress
Constructed for heavier users and designed for the 3ft6 wide RotoBed® beds, the BariaSleep has a weight capacity of 190kg and is a firm, supportive mattress.
b. Roho Air Mattress
An innovative dry flotation air mattress that is designed to prevent and facilitate treatment of pressure ulcers at all four stages.
4. Add accessories
Once your bed and mattress set is complete, you can upgrade your Opera RotoBed® to include some useful enhancements. Accessories include:
- Armside table that rotates with you
- LED bed lamp for reading
- Underbed lighting that illuminates when you rotate to exit the bed
- Pillow and pillowcase with backrest securing straps
- Jersey fitted sheets
6. After-purchase considerations
There are some key after-purchase considerations that you must consider before investing in a rotating chair bed. These include:
Delivery & Installation
You will need to ensure that the supplier can deliver and install the bed in your area. Make sure you are confident that your supplier can adequately cover your area and have trained, professional engineers. You will also need to give details about the room size and also be aware that due to the weight and size of rotating beds they cannot always be installed in an upstairs room.
Opera offers UK-wide delivery and installation with distribution hubs in London, Glasgow, Manchester, Hull, Swindon and Dublin. A network of 40+ installation engineers mean we can install and service equipment quickly and efficiently.
Warranty
When spending £5,000+ on an item of equipment, you want to be assured of excellent quality and guarantee/warranty coverage. Check with your supplier that you have at least a 2 year parts and labour warranty on the bed. Opera offers full 3 year warranties on all RotoBed® rotating chair beds with extension options available.
Support/Maintenance
Once you are confident with warranty terms, you next want to be confident that the supplier can actually support that warranty and respond to maintenance requests quickly. Opera has a UK-wide network of 40+ service engineers and can respond to break-down requests with on-site engineers within 1-2 days.
Battery Back-up
A final consideration is battery back-up. In the event of a power outage, the last thing you need is a non-functional bed that is stuck in an awkward position or leaves you unable to get out. Opera’s RotoBed® beds all have optional battery back-up that enable you to continue operating the bed in the event of a power outage.
7. Making the purchase
When you have made the decision to purchase and have selected and configured a product that matches your requirements, you should be fully confident in the product and supplier. Ensure the supplier offers a robust returns policy or trial period and advice form your occupational therapist or district nurse if you need further confirmation.
All the best and we hope our guide proved useful. We’d be delighted to help you further and speak with you in person, please do call our advice team on 0333 222 8584 or enquire using the form below.
