# Bariatric Mattress



## imfree (Sep 19, 2012)

Guys, if you would, please, I would like to hear from people who have actually purchased and own bariatric mattresses. I'm especially interested in finding a reasonably priced vendor who sells and ships to individuals, of course, and carries bariatric mattresses that fit regular home beds.

I found a Michigan vendor who has just what I need, a 80" X 54" X 7", full bed size, bariatric mattress, made of multi-density foam, for around $500.00.

My further research showed the vendor to have only been in business for 3 years and I just don't feel comfortable about ordering from this vendor. I'm interested in hearing about your experiences .


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## moore2me (Sep 21, 2012)

imfree said:


> Guys, if you would, please, I would like to hear from people who have actually purchased and own bariatric mattresses. I'm especially interested in finding a reasonably priced vendor who sells and ships to individuals, of course, and carries bariatric mattresses that fit regular home beds.
> 
> I found a Michigan vendor who has just what I need, a 80" X 54" X 7", full bed size, bariatric mattress, made of multi-density foam, for around $500.00.
> 
> My further research showed the vendor to have only been in business for 3 years and I just don't feel comfortable about ordering from this vendor. I'm interested in hearing about your experiences .


 Good l 0dddly enough if you find what a standard bariatric mattress is supposed to adhere to, this would help you get a independent company in your area build one.


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## Orchid (Sep 21, 2012)

some useful info over at www.bedsforhome.com/bariatric-mattress

on a regular mattress site it is adviced to go to a shop/store to test the mattress in person laying down on it etc before buying it


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## imfree (Sep 21, 2012)

Thanks for your input, Ladies, and I will still appreciate hearing from others. That bloody scratch the mattress wire put under my right butt cheek on Tuesday the 18th was the second time that mattress got me and that big sag in the middle has been there for 3 years or more! The hurting had to stop and I'm praying the improved support of a bariatric mattress will help me eliminate the nearly 10 lbs of excess fluid that I've been retaining. Here's a link to a nice looking Medline 80" X 54" bariatric mattress that I ordered through Total Home Medical in Utah, yesterday. It should be here be the end of next week. I'm doing the best I can to get rid of the fluid and will appreciate the prayers and well wishes from everyone.


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## moore2me (Sep 22, 2012)

moore2me said:


> Good l 0dddly enough if you find what a standard bariatric mattress is supposed to adhere to, this would help you get a independent company in your area build one.



Edgar, 

OK, I confess - I was wasted when I wrote the above response. I had some really good thoughts, but none of them made it to the screen what I was writing on. Scary part is, I don't think I was taking any illegal or legal drugs to cause this, nor was any alcoholic spirits etc. involved. The AB Normal part of my brain just took over and hence my strange response.


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## cinnamitch (Sep 22, 2012)

imfree said:


> Thanks for your input, Ladies, and I will still appreciate hearing from others. That bloody scratch the mattress wire put under my right butt cheek on Tuesday the 18th was the second time that mattress got me and that big sag in the middle has been there for 3 years or more! The hurting had to stop and I'm praying the improved support of a bariatric mattress will help me eliminate the nearly 10 lbs of excess fluid that I've been retaining. Here's a link to a nice looking Medline 80" X 54" bariatric mattress that I ordered through Total Home Medical in Utah, yesterday. It should be here be the end of next week. I'm doing the best I can to get rid of the fluid and will appreciate the prayers and well wishes from everyone.



Medline is a reliable company and provides beds and other medical supplies to a lot of hospitals and nursing homes, so I am pretty sure it will be a decent mattress


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## imfree (Sep 22, 2012)

cinnamitch said:


> Medline is a reliable company and provides beds and other medical supplies to a lot of hospitals and nursing homes, so I am pretty sure it will be a decent mattress



Cool! Thanks for the encouraging information. The picture did show what looks to be good design and construction. The multi density foam should give me the support I need in my heavy midsection. 

View attachment Medline bariatric matt wb md.jpg


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## imfree (Sep 28, 2012)

The freight company called yesterday and advised us to have someone home to accept today's delivery. The freight driver called late afternoon today and said we could meet him and his 18-wheeler at the church down the street and pick up the mattress from him in the church parking lot. Mom had taken his call, so she told him we have no means to carry a mattress to our house from that church. The driver parked his rig along the side of our busy street and safely delivered the mattress. The Medline bariatric mattress was compression-packed, so the box was an unbelievable 24" X 24" X 40" approximate size. The enclosed paperwork instructed to shake the mattress and allow air to enter the foam and the mattress would fully expand to specified size in 24-48 hours. A quick call to the vendor assured me that that the mattress could be put into use immediately, so Mom swapped the new for old mattress because I'm too weak at the present time to do any such work. I'm down quite a few pounds and seem to be eliminating fluids well, so I'm praying for the mattress to help the fluid issues and for fluid loss/weight loss to help my heart last a little longer.

The mattress, a 54" X 80" Medline Advantage Plus Bariatric, has what feels to be optimum support. It should be a most serious improvement over that severely middle-sagging Sealy, that could well have been contributing to my edema.

Pray for me and send healing wishes. I'll keep this thread going as I'm able to and have new information. 

View attachment Bariatric mattress Medline wb lg.jpg


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## moore2me (Sep 28, 2012)

Me? First? Thank you kind sir.

First, tell your mom that she is one heck of a trooper. I continue to see in people like her why they were the "Greatest Generation". They make do when they are called on. Give her a hug for me.

Now my question. I really like your mattress. I notice that you have put it on top of your (box springs)? Is this what the company recommends? Is this configuration much lower than your original bed? Let me know how your first "acid test" does (no, this does not mean to pee in the bed either)!

Take care.
M2M

I was going to the Ark vs Texas A & M game tomorrow, but I checked and that old warrant is still active - I can't believe that Texas Rangers carry a grudge that long. So, I better not try to cross the state line this year.


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## imfree (Sep 28, 2012)

moore2me said:


> Me? First? Thank you kind sir.
> 
> First, tell your mom that she is one heck of a trooper. I continue to see in people like her why they were the "Greatest Generation". They make do when they are called on. Give her a hug for me.***
> 
> ...



Thanks for asking, M2M. The mattress is on top of my old box springs and is .5-1" or so lower than the old Serta. Customer Service at Total Home Medical (Sandy Utah) said they didn't know any reason why the bariatric mattress shouldn't be used on a standard bed. I did test the matt/bed combo by lying down and resting on it for about 40 minutes and its firmness, support, and stability were total relief from the severely worn and middle-sagging Serta!

***Hug given and Mom thanks you!

The old box springs sag a little and are soon to be replaced, as well!


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## imfree (Sep 29, 2012)

It would be no surprise to anyone that I hardly managed to get 3 or 4 hours sleep on the new mattress last night, our first night, me and mattress. The mattress tends to form itself around me, so turning over is nearly impossible and the first time I tried I spent a second on my stomach and that severely took the breath out of me! I still have to swap head and feet positions to change sides. I did fall asleep for a few minutes during my lie-down rest this afternoon, so I think I should adapt OK in a few days. The Honda scissors jack I bought in ebay arrived after my nap and I adjusted and installed it under the outer bed frame rail to correct that nasty sag that helped to ruin the old mattress. The jack support under that sag added quite a bit of stability to the whole bed, even to the point of quieting frame noises that I would hear when getting on the bed.

This pictured jack is nearly identical to mine and the smaller scissors jacks look to be well suited for bed frame rail support. I'm already considering one for the inside rail. 

View attachment scissors-jack wb md.jpg


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## moore2me (Sep 29, 2012)

Hi Edgar,

I completely understand about the turning over problemo. Have it myself. I took the liberty of looking at WalMart's special order section at some side bed rails that might work in your situation. If your bed is always against a wall - only one side of the rails would have to fold down. Another alternative would be an overhead trapeze, but I think side rails would work better. You could also do some Aggie engineering and rig up some pull ropes on the right and left side (tied to the bedframe) and laid up on the top of the mattress and just us them as pull ropes. Good luck. M2M

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Drive-Medical-Home-Bed-Style-Adjustable-Length-Bed-Rails/13111516

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Telemade-Free-Standing-Bariatric-Trapeze/20849743

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Lumex-Patriot-Assist-Bar/14168811

http://www.walmart.com/ip/AmFab-Full-Length-Universal-Side-Rail/16623970


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## imfree (Sep 30, 2012)

moore2me said:


> Hi Edgar,
> 
> I completely understand about the turning over problemo....snipped...



Thanks for the links and info, M2M. Nice stuff, but I don't have the space for some, nor the bux for others. I'll continue to swap end-to-end unless I lose enough #'s to not need to, or the mattress gets easier to roll over on. I'm about to try and see how night 2 goes. Good Night.


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## imfree (Oct 1, 2012)

Last night's sleep on Bari Matt wasn't great, but far better than the first night. Knowing my limits of movability on the new mattress and it being almost completely formed and set-into final shape and size did allow me to get several hours sleep. I have a doctor's appointment at the VAMC in Murfreesboro tomorrow, so I will being doing quite well to get whatever sleep I can on the new mattress tonight! Good Night


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## imfree (Oct 1, 2012)

Even with the pre-VA Dr appointment jitters, I think I still got more sleep than night 2. I think I only head-to-toe swapped once or twice, not bad at all. Good night.


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## imfree (Oct 6, 2012)

Last night was the end of my first week on the bariatric mattress. I'm a little achy from the ongoing adjustment, but I don't move much in my sleep and have managed to get a few near complete nights of sleep on it. The improved support of that mattress tends to hold me in so I end up pushing and pulling harder to get out of bed these days. Thanks for reading. Sleep well, Guys.


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## Hubby2USBBBW (Oct 25, 2013)

OK, so the problem(s) I have with this bed is 1) 54"x80" is roughly the size of a 'double' (a true double is 54"x75") then 2) the 54"x80"x6" is rated at 600lb capacity. So right now, my wife and I are sleeping in a king size bed, so this mattress wouldn't work, and she's already over the 600lb mark, and the two of us together would be 1100+ and I don't see any mattress on Medline that are wide enough or have the weight capacity. 



imfree said:


> The freight company called yesterday and advised us to have someone home to accept today's delivery. The freight driver called late afternoon today and said we could meet him and his 18-wheeler at the church down the street and pick up the mattress from him in the church parking lot. Mom had taken his call, so she told him we have no means to carry a mattress to our house from that church. The driver parked his rig along the side of our busy street and safely delivered the mattress. The Medline bariatric mattress was compression-packed, so the box was an unbelievable 24" X 24" X 40" approximate size. The enclosed paperwork instructed to shake the mattress and allow air to enter the foam and the mattress would fully expand to specified size in 24-48 hours. A quick call to the vendor assured me that that the mattress could be put into use immediately, so Mom swapped the new for old mattress because I'm too weak at the present time to do any such work. I'm down quite a few pounds and seem to be eliminating fluids well, so I'm praying for the mattress to help the fluid issues and for fluid loss/weight loss to help my heart last a little longer.
> 
> The mattress, a 54" X 80" Medline Advantage Plus Bariatric, has what feels to be optimum support. It should be a most serious improvement over that severely middle-sagging Sealy, that could well have been contributing to my edema.
> 
> Pray for me and send healing wishes. I'll keep this thread going as I'm able to and have new information.


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## RabbitScorpion (Oct 26, 2013)

I suspect, that since the main market for these products are hospitals and nursing homes, that the weight ratings are determined on the assumption that only one person will be on the bed. You might ask a manufacturer if their mattress can support more than the rating if the weight were to be distributed among two people (personally, I think a 54" wide mattress is uncomfortably narrow for any couple - it can literally drive a man to the edge) 

Sadly, you will not get any reply from Edgar (imfree). He passed away on 12/18/2012


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