Several contemporary Hospital Beds are equipped with bed exit alarms that sound an auditory alert when a weight, such as a patient, is placed on a pressure pad on or in the mattress and activate the full alarm when that weight is removed. This is useful for hospital workers or caretakers keeping an eye on a large number of patients from a distance (like a nurse's station), as the alert will sound if a patient—especially one who is elderly or has memory loss—falls out of bed or wanders off unattended. This alarm can be connected to the nurse call light, hospital phone, or paging system, or it can be broadcast alone from the bed. Additionally, some beds come equipped with a multi-zone bed exit alarm that can notify the staff even before the patient actually exits the bed, which is sometimes important.
Hospital Beds also feature side rails, which are designed to prevent patients from falling out of bed. These side rails may be adjustable or removable, depending on the specific needs of the patient. In some cases, hospital beds may also be equipped with restraints or other devices that are designed to prevent patients from leaving the bed without assistance.
