This is Not Your Father's Hospital Bed- Part II

When Dear Son was two years old, we built our first new house. At that time, we knew of Dear Son's disabilities however we didn't have a good idea of what modifications we should make when building our new home. The home had an open floor plan, which I knew would be good, but trying to plan ten years or twenty years ahead, was difficult. We settled on a few things, making all doors in the house 36 inches wide, converting a first floor laundry room into a changing room/toy room for Dear Son and the biggest change of all had to do with the foundation. The builder was able to raise the foundation 8 inches which allowed the sidewalk to our front door, look normal and therefore there was only one step with which to maneuver the wheelchair. To this day, no one who drives down the street, would have any idea that our home was wheelchair friendly or handicapped accessible, which is exactly the point of "universal design." Since that time, I have learned that many of the changes that are made for the handicapped, are often enjoyed by everyone.

You may recall a few years back, when Dear Son required a hospital bed, that I was very reluctant. The last thing I wanted in my home was a giant hospital bed. It's bad enough to be in a hospital but to have one in our home, was well, a giant eyesore. I took the bed apart, painted it, created a faux headboard from a bamboo blind and ended up with a modern looking bed. A good solution nonetheless, but not great. That is, until I saw this bed.

This bed looks like a beautiful bed, but unless you know the secret, you might just assume that it's solid wood good looks are something you'd like in your own bedroom. After all, who wouldn't like a beautiful, hand crafted, solid wood bed. There is something especially lovely about a handmade bed. And it's no wonder that having a solid headboard on a bed is good feng shui. But what if I told you, that this is no ordinary bed. This bed, fits right over a hospital bed. And who wouldn't love that. And that is the beauty of "universal design". This bed not only fits over a standard hospital bed but would be lovely in any bedroom.

This bed is the creation of Gary Owens. He created the bed when his own wife became ill. I can't imagine the good energy that would create having such a beautiful bed in what could have been an ordinary hospital bed. The best thing about these beds, is they are not only pretty, but functional. I also think there is something special about a gift that is hand made.

Gary contacted me some time ago and asked me what I thought of his beds. I told him they were gorgeous. I said that they were so beautiful that he should not limit himself to marketing the beds to Durable Medical Equipment (DME) providers, but also to high end retailers. At the present time, I am not aware of any other bed that fits over hospital beds. In addition, while most DME providers do offer higher end hospital beds, they are expensive and most insurance companies won't pay for them. If you pay out of pocket for them, they still aren't a design that is very exciting and the problem is that once the hospital bed is no longer needed, you have just paid for a bed you'll never use again. And that's the beauty of tendercarebeds.com When you buy a Tendercare Bed, the bed fits over a standard hospital bed AND when you no longer need a hospital bed, you still have a lovely bed!

I can only hope that these new beds catch on. How lovely would it be to walk into a new children's hospital and see a lovely bed like this. More often than not, they invest in large screen televisions. That's fine, but when you spend a lot of time in the hospital, you want a hospital room that looks like home and you want your home to look like a home and not a hospital. I would imagine in this case, you could also have a decorative painter create a scene on this bed or add a child's name to it. And with this bed, you can have your cake and eat it too.

But this bed is not limited to any one group. I can only imagine that as the baby boomers age, and more hospital beds make their way into the home, that more people will want more than the just the standard hospital bed. I can see this business growing to include nightstands and matching dressers. Move over Pottery Barn and Nieman Marcus, Tendercare Beds is here to stay.