Adjustable hospital bed for laterally positioning a patient and related methods

An adjustable hospital bed for laterally positioning a patient comprising:

• a support frame having a top end and a bottom end;
• a body pad having a head end and a foot end, and a plurality of back pad mortises around its periphery, the body pad adjustably secured to the top end of the support frame;
• a back pad having a top edge, a bottom edge, and a plurality of back pad tenons extending from the bottom edge and removably inserted into the plurality of back pad mortises of the body pad to support the back pad on its bottom edge at an angle relative to the body pad;
• a linear actuator having a first end secured to the top end of the support frame and a second end secured to an underside of the body pad, the linear actuator configured to lift the head end of the body pad;
• and
• a tilt adjustment mechanism having a first portion secured to the top end of the support frame and a second overlapping portion in communication with an underside of the body pad, wherein the second overlapping portion of the tilt adjustment mechanism is configured to rotate relative to the first portion to laterally tilt the body pad relative to a front or rear of the support frame.

A method of laterally positioning a patient using an adjustable hospital bed comprising a support frame having a top end and a bottom end, a body pad having a head end and a foot end and a plurality of back pad mortises around its periphery, the body pad adjustably secured to the top end of the support frame, a back pad having a plurality of back pad tenons extending from a bottom edge and removably inserted into the plurality of back pad mortises of the body pad to support the back pad on its bottom edge at an angle relative to the body pad, a linear actuator having a first end secured to the top end of the support frame and a second end secured to an underside of the body pad, and a tilt adjustment mechanism configured to rotate to laterally tilt the body pad relative to a front or rear of the support frame, the method comprising:

• positioning a patient on the body pad on their side;
• placing a torso pad adjacent to a torso of the patient;
• sliding a strap that is attached to the torso pad around the back pad and body pad to secure the patient laterally on their side against the back pad;
• and
• using the linear actuator and the tilt adjustment mechanism to secure the patient at the desired lateral position.