Fire Retardant Bedding for Nursing Homes

 

Fire retardant bedding is critical to the health and safety of anyone needing assisted living care at home, or who live in nursing homes. Sometimes called FR bedding, this life saving product has been mandatory on upholstery, in certain circumstances for many years.

The main reason that FR bedding is so important is the fact that people who are ill, or getting older, often have medical issues that affect how well they can maintain a stable blood sugar level. This means they may be watching television, or be engaged in a conversation with friends and suddenly, albeit quietly, fall asleep. If they are smoking a cigarette or pipe, the likelihood of spilled smoking material is extremely high. If they are in bed, the accidental placement of hot smoking material can cause a fire that accelerates to a fatal level before the sick, or elderly person, can react.

More and more people are living in retirement communities and nursing homes.  By allowing a concentrated number of elderly to live in a communal building without ensuring the safety of the material in their bedding and pillows is a serious oversight.

Complete attention to this problem is required. Bedding is not just the mattress and box-spring. Bedding also includes pillows and duvets, sometimes called bolsters. Little protection is provided with bedding that is fire retardant without also ensuring they have fire resistant duvets and pillows.

When a resident is not in bed, they may be in a chair, hosting friends or watching television, often using a pillow or bolster. This provides comfort and a platform upon which they can rest reading material, television remotes or other items. Even though they are not in bed it is critical they have fire resistant duvets to use.

The cost of fire retardant bedding is no longer noticeably more expensive than other quality items of bedding. So if you are responsibility for sick or elderly people, make sure every item of bedding they use is certified as being fire retardant bedding. In doing this you will have taken a big step to protect the health and safety of the people in your care. You will also have protected yourself and people living in the same building or institution.