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marys1000

Twin mattress for 83 yr old mother

marys1000
17 years ago

I have been reading through some searches on mattresses and am still very confused. There are people who both like and dislike pretty much everything out there:!

I will do some of my own research but am hoping to captilize on other peoples as well.

My mother is 83 and complains about pain a lot. She has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. She probably has generic old age type arthritis and joint pain with pressure point issues. She currently sleeps on an ancient mattress with a JC penny "egg crate" foam topper. When at my sisters and on my previous guest mattress she complained they were too hard.

She is going to move in with me for a little bit (or a long bit not sure) several states away so I will be buying her a new twin bed set up.

Any comments on what type of mattress to get? I was thinking of a memory foam. I do not have a lot of money for this. She sleeps on her side.

Thanks for your comments,

Mary

Comments (10)

  • sister3
    17 years ago

    Firstly, I think a twin bed is way too small for the average adult. I would recommend that you get her at least a full or queen if you have room. This way she can actually spread out and enjoy her bed. She will definitely feel more comfy with room to spread out the paper, read or do a crossword puzzle.

    Does she have trouble getting in or out of bed? This would be something to consider with the height of your mattress set. Go for a low profile box spring especially if you get her a pillowtop mattress.

    I bought our family stearns&foster mattresses that we love. Do a search of mattress brands. There is so much info out there. I am sure you will find the perfect fit for your Mother, at a price you can afford.

  • mes444
    17 years ago

    Well, my mother lived with me until she passed away at 88yrs and she much preferred her twin mattress as getting in and out of bed was much easier for her not having to slide across the bed when she had to get up. They run out of energy so quickly. She had a pillow top Beautyrest I believe but a real good way to soften up a decent mid priced mattress is to get a memory foam topper 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick. Much less expensive than the whole mattress and very soft and comfortable (I have one over my king Sealy Posturepedic and love it). Sealy Posturepedic is well priced if you buy one without a pillow top and then you just add your own topper. You can keep the mattress cleaner also with a topper than an attached pillow top. I love Moms, you're doing a great thing taking her into your home.

  • marys1000
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Yes, my mother is used to her twin and while it seems small I don't think she wants a bigger bed.
    (I'm a fairly big girl and slept on a twin for 3 months a couple of years ago and actually likeed it because I like to roll over a lot and sleep on the edge of the bed facing the outside. No more travelling from one side to another)
    Any recommendations for a topper? Or other comments?
    Mary

  • piper1014
    17 years ago

    I think the memory foam will be the way to go because of her joint pain and pressure point issues. I love my Tempur-Pedic for just those reasons, but it's pretty expensive. I think the memory foam *topper* is a good idea, not only because it will be less expensive but also because if the whole mattress were memory foam, you kinda have to *climb* out of it (because you sink down a little). Wouldn't think that would be much of an issue with a topper. Another point -- some people find memory foam to be too warm for them to sleep on, so an 83-yr.-old would probably love the extra warmth.

  • realdreamer
    17 years ago

    Only you mother can tell you if the mattress is comfortable for her. I believe in the road test. Dress your mother in very comfortable clothes and take her to the store and have her lay on a mattress for at least 15 minutes. Staying on the mattress for at least 15 minutes will give her a real feel of that mattress. A foam mattress will seem soft initially, but under compression will firm up.

    I know it seems like a hassle, but at her age, she deserves a good night sleep.

    Personally, I love foam. But it is not for everyone. It seems to be one way or the otherÂyou either love it or hate it. Some people hate the way the foam forms around their body. It makes them hot. Form will also lose its elasticity over time and there will be an indentation where the person sleeps.

    I think a lot of older people prefer a smaller bed. My mother-in-law sleeps in a twin bed as well. She has for years.

  • kgwlisa
    17 years ago

    This is not really related to the mattress question but if she is in pain a lot and has arthritis and fibromyalgia then a mattress alone won't relieve her pain. She should see a pain management specialist.

    My grandmother is 89 now and has had arthristis since her teens, so over 70 years. I remember 20 years ago when she would get a back flare up and be in SO MUCH pain. It was occasional and she coped with it. We did get her a new mattress a few years back to replace her 30 year old mattress and it did help with the every day aches and pains a bit. Of course the arthritis has progressed and a couple of years ago she couldn't take it anymore... she was in a lot of pain all the time and finally her doctor prescribed a pain patch for her... basically it's a morphine derivative. It gave her her quality of life back and made me wonder why it took so many months of begging the doctor to do something about her pain before he suggested it, but that's another story all together. If you go to a pain management specialist they will likely not be hesitant about doing what it takes to make your mother comfortable. Being in pain saps all of your energy and I can't believe how much energy my grandmother has now that she is not trying to suck up and deal with the pain. The only regret we have is that we did not take her to a pain management specialist years ago. She suffered for too long for no good reason.

  • dianne47
    17 years ago

    My father-in-law lived with us from age 86 until he died last year a few days after his 92nd birthday. He had numerous aches and pains when he first arrived. We bought one of those electric beds for him, twin XL size, with a remote control. It raised and lowered at head and knees and had a vibrating feature. We attached the bed to a regular twin headboard that matched the other furniture in his "suite." We also put an egg crate topper and a regular WATERPROOF mattress pad on the bed, then flannel sheets. Cozy.

    His main exercise every day was making the bed, the bending and stretching that he did in performing the task kept him more limber than if I had made the bed for him.

    It turned out that DFIL hadn't been to a doctor in years and I started taking him in every three months, just like changing the oil in the car. The doctor put him on several medications and his quality of life improved a lot. Three squares and interacting with the family helped, too. Bringing him to live with us was a lifesaver for him and enriched our family.

    You may find that your mother hasn't been seeing doctors on a routine basis, so living with you may immediately improve her access to medical care. I agree with the previous poster completely about pain management and investigating that route.

    We spent about $1,100 for the bed and it was money well invested. You could try looking at classified ads and estate sales for such a bed at a lower cost.

    My teen daughter cannot live without her feather bed, it's like a four-inch-thick mattress pad. A feather bed might be more comfortable for your mother than an egg crate or foam topper. We bought ours at the mail-order (also web) Company Store.

  • sager66
    17 years ago

    Firm Talalay Latex Mattress
    Wool Fleece Pad
    Pillow

    Since everyone has different comfort preferences, sleeping positions, back issues, etc., there will never be a consensus on a "best" configuration. My 86 year old mother has been sleeping on the above configuration for around 4 years. I keep asking how its working, but no issues so far.

  • sue_ct
    17 years ago

    Do you have a Costco near you? I bought my memory foam topper there, about 100.00 for a full size, and love it. The reason I suggest Costco for this for you, is that there is no return limit. It is customer satisfaction or money back. If you get it for her and she does not like it, they refund your money, even though it has been used (be sure to protect it somehow if she is incontinent at all, although they would proabably still do so, although personally I could not bring myself to ask them to after that!) Everyone I know (my brother, SIL and both kids have them) loves them. I did hear of one person who apparently knew someone who felt thier stiffness/soreness got worse. The only reason I could think of for that is that I do think you tend to move less during the night, and some might find thier muscles stiffen up more from lack of movement. After that I would try the thickest down topper you can find. A coworker with severe arthritis loves that also. Hope this hasn't come too late! Buy the way, if you do not have or want a Costco membership, have someone with a membership buy you a gift certificate or stop in and see if you need to be a member to buy one. I found out from my Costco that anyone I buy a GC for can shop there with it without getting a membership.

    Sue

  • bob_smith
    17 years ago

    You will want to get her something from Simmons is my best guess. The pocketed coils will be the best. Go with something that is more pluch but gives support. I sell mattresses but not simmons, if you would like I can answer more questions if you would like. (rsmit@pmbedroomgallery.com)