FOLDAWAY BED

RESERVED SOLELY FOR NEW YORK STUDIO APARTMENTS

Frankly they’re a pain in the rear end, but they look cool and are very functional!  As you may have seen in the title, I’m talking about beds that fold up into a cabinet.  Originally I thought they were reserved solely for New York studio apartments in the movies, or a cunning way to seduce and then kill James Bond (You Only Live Twice – Pre title sequence) apologies if that is a spoiler!  However, they are a very functional bit of kit for places that require a room to have two functions, Hospitals for example.

BEREAVEMENT & HOME COMFORTS

It’s painfully sad but it happens, things don’t always go the way you want or hope them to, I don’t want to type it especially after recently becoming an expectant father for the first time, you all know what I’m talking about so I’ll just crack on……  Hospitals need a space for grieving parents, but thankfully it isn’t an everyday occurrence and It isn’t ideal to have a room which is kitted out for medical care being unused.  So it’s logical to utilise a foldaway bed, that way you can still fit a medical bed into the room and carry out the day to day running’s of a labour suite or hospital ward, then when the unthinkable happens you can wheel out the medical bed and pull down the bed.  I hope I’m not being too pragmatic and void of emotion here, apologies if I am……

With the bed down and medical equipment stored away behind closed doors the room is transformed into a comfortable and cosy bedroom with all the home comforts, a much more suitable place to be, the last place you want to be at that difficult time is in a operational ward with bustling people other patients, and I hope having this quiet private comfortable room eases the pain a fraction.

GEORGE ELIOT HOPITAL

We have made a few units with foldaway beds over the years but more recently we designed, manufactured and installed a full unit for George Eliot Hospital Maternity department.  The brief was to provide a unit to house a double bed which folded away to allow the room to be used as a fully functioning delivery suite should it be required, this meant incorporating the medical gases and allowing for locating power and nurse calls.  The project was a long time in the making as the trust had to fund raise for a large portion of the budget and of course this takes time, but the figures were achieved and we started production in November with an install date in December.

The bed mechanisms are  tricky to fit and then get right, but the fitting instructions from Hideaway Beds are fantastic and the mechanisms are well made and once all items such as doors and mattresses are in place the weight ratio balances out and they work like a dream, the balance on the spring allows you to lift and lower the bed effortlessly.

Installing this one was a full day fit for Danny Charlie and myself, we worked closely with the estates department at the hospital to ensure Nurse Calls, electrics and gases could be incorporated easily and effectively.

MORE FOLDAWAY BEDS?

Coincidentally I have received an enquiry for a bed unit to go into the Children’s ward at Warwick Hospital, so watch this space, maybe I’ll be telling you about that one in the future!

Have a great weekend and take it easy!

Adam