For Director of Nursing

Bed Sentinel

Operating Instructions

    The Bed Sentinel is a self-contained alarm unit which clips on to the bed frame.  The cord is clipped to the top sheet...or to the resident's bed clothes, if you prefer.  The cord allows movement, yet protects the resident against leaving the bed without assistance.

    If the resident attempts to leave the bed, the plug at the end of the cord will be pulled from the Bed Sentinel, triggering a 90 db pulsing signal.  The resident is still in bed, and your staff has time to intervene before injury can occur.

   The key to prevention of potential patient injury is the prompt reaction to the audio signal by the nursing staff.  The facility is responsible for the maintenance of the unit to assure its proper function.

    If your resident used a wheelchair, the Bed Sentinel can do double duty, providing protection around the clock.  Each Bed Sentinel is supplied with a wheelchair mounting bracket, which allows the Bed Sentinel to be moved with the resident from bed to chair and back again. 

On The Bed:

1. The Bed Sentinel consists of a Control Box and a cord assembly.   The cord assembly has a plug on one end and a clip on the opposite end.

2. Test the unit by pulling the plug out of the Control Box.   The alarm will sound.  Insert the plug, and the alarm will stop.

3. The unit is mounted for use on the bed by simply pushing the clip on the Control Box mounting plate upward on the bed frame flange.

4. The cord is fed upward between the mattress and bed rail.   Attach clip on the cord to the patient's top sheet, or the resident's bedclothing if you prefer.  Caregivers hint: Many residents find it less threatening to have the clip connected to the sheets, instead of to their bedclothing.

5. Squeeze the cord adjuster to set the cord to the desired length (see illustration).

1. Remove the Control Box before washing the bed.

2. In the event of a malfunctions, first check the battery.   Remove the battery cover and exchange the battery with a new one.  Note that the battery's energy is only used when the alarm sounds, so a battery should last quite a while.

On The Chair:

1. To use the Bed Sentinel on a wheelchair, have your Maintenance Department install the Sentinel mounting bracket to the wheelchair.

2. After the bracket has been installed, clip the Sentinel Control Box under the bracket, with the side of the Control Box against the flange.

3. With the resident in the chair and the cord clip attached to the resident's clothing, adjust the length of the cord so the resident can have normal movement without triggering the alarm.

4. When the resident attempts to leave the wheelchair, the plug will pull out of the Control Box, and the alarm will sound.