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Long-Term Care Consumers Family Members Advocates

Protect the Elderly from Dangerous Bed Rails

To: Consumer Product Safety Commission, Food and Drug Administration

Please protect vulnerable elderly consumers by establishing minimum safety standards for all adult bed rails and prohibiting the use of dangerous bed rails currently in use.

No medical device or consumer product should kill or injure those who use it. Yet as you know, that is exactly what many bed rails – both portable rails that can be attached to a bed and bed systems with side bed rails – have been doing for years.

The statistics are appalling:

-- Data from the Food and Drug Administration show that 550 people have died from bed rails since 1995;

-- Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) data reveal that almost 37,000 people have been injured between 2003 and 2012.

Sadly, we know that the numbers of elderly and other consumers impacted by dangerous bed rails are even higher due to under-reporting.

When data from the CPSC showed that there were 13 child fatalities in a 10-year period, the agency moved appropriately to promulgate regulations to protect children. The New York Times reported that 10 times or more adults than children have died in a similar time period, yet there are no mandatory standards in place for adult bed rails.

In this country we've worked hard to keep vulnerable children safe in bed. Why can't we do the same for the vulnerable elderly? We need regulations that prevent deaths and injuries from bed rails - regardless of how they are classified and where they are found. We, the undersigned, urge the CPSC and FDA to develop mandatory safety rules and to resolve any jurisdictional issues between agencies.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
This petition is no longer active.
This petition has a goal of 1000 signatures
26-50 of 552 signatures
Number Date Name Organization Location Why do you care about this ...
527 Mon Apr 22 10:15:57 EDT 2013 sharon jennings me Winfield, IA Help--where can i bring up an issue??? I submitted a letter about private rooms last week and while I thought it was received I don't know where to look for it or how to get a response. Thank-you Sharon More....
526 Mon Apr 22 10:15:46 EDT 2013 Kim Flanigan LTC Ombudsman Marietta, OH
525 Mon Apr 22 10:10:59 EDT 2013 sharon jennings me Winfield, IA I have a mom in a care center. She doesn't need bed rails, but might down the road. I support safe and standard bed rails for nursing homes and feel this issue needs to be addressed to keep seniors safe. More....
524 Mon Apr 22 10:01:42 EDT 2013 David Sutterfield Sutterfield Law Offices, P.C. Effingham, IL Bed rails are misused and cause horrific injuries, often leading to slow, agonizing deaths of vulnerable disabled adults.
523 Mon Apr 22 09:56:35 EDT 2013 Lynda Pickett Philadelphia Corporation for Aging Philadelphia, PA Would like to prevent any incidents that may cause harm to older adults.
522 Mon Apr 22 08:49:52 EDT 2013 Larry Reeves Southwestern Commission AAA Sylva, NC Ombudsman for long term care
521 Sat Apr 20 18:27:05 EDT 2013 sharon jennings me Winfield, IA There is an issue I would like to bring to the attention of anyone and everyone who will listen and hopefully can do something about this issue. That is the need for private rooms for every nursing home More....
520 Sat Apr 20 18:05:56 EDT 2013 sharon jennings me Winfield, IA I have a parent in a nursing home. She does not require bed rails, but who knows down the road. Anyway, before I sing this I would like to know more about the statistics, that is what is the per cent More....
519 Thu Apr 18 23:35:24 EDT 2013 Mary Watson-Bruce Irvine, CA I am over 65 years of age and have been professionally active as a gerontologist. This is a vital issue that concerns individuals with acute as well as chronic conditions.
518 Thu Apr 18 21:08:59 EDT 2013 daniel mullins haven associates cortland, NY
517 Thu Apr 18 21:06:04 EDT 2013 de Jong-Davis de Jong-Davis Sanctuary for Longevity Project El Paso, TX The Universal Declaration of human Rights applies fully and undiminished to the aging and recognizes that quality of life is no less important than longevity…
516 Thu Apr 18 20:31:09 EDT 2013 Anonymous Orange, CA Retired from Long Term Care. Know the hazards
515 Thu Apr 18 20:08:36 EDT 2013 Anonymous San Jose, CA Elders are the last completely unprotected class. They often cannot protect themselves. Bed safety rails is such a simple issue, it is shocking that it hasn't already been resolved. But then if the elder's More....
514 Thu Apr 18 19:53:28 EDT 2013 Anonymous Buena Park, Ca, CA
513 Thu Apr 18 19:21:25 EDT 2013 Tabatha Bowers Toronto , ON In the province of Ontario, full siderails is considered to be a restraint. The degree of injury related to a senior falling over the rails in their attempt to get up, or getting caught in the rails and More....
512 Thu Apr 18 19:13:22 EDT 2013 Lori Delagrammatikas Riverside, CA It is important to keep the most vulnerable members of our society safe.
511 Thu Apr 18 18:24:45 EDT 2013 John Bombrys ABLE Toledo, OH As an associate ombudsman for ABLE, we need to do everything possible for the safety and well-being of those who cannot take care of themselves. We need to realize that some day everyone of us may be there More....
510 Thu Apr 18 17:29:02 EDT 2013 Eileen Bennett Laurel, MD I have seen too many injuries occur when someone tries to get over the bedrail.
509 Thu Apr 18 16:13:40 EDT 2013 Shawna Reeves Oakland, CA As an advocate for the rights elders, I wish to see all elders happy and safe. Establishing minimum safety standards for bed rails is a common sense move that will prevent senseless injuries and save More....
508 Thu Apr 18 12:58:03 EDT 2013 Margaret Farley Select... Lawrence, KS The safety of elders is at risk. Persons who are injured in this way die a horrible death, which is entirely preventable. It is not an accident if we know that bed rails are so dangerous.
507 Thu Apr 18 11:35:00 EDT 2013 Susan Lundquist Independence , MO
506 Thu Apr 18 10:04:18 EDT 2013 Carly Olsman Chicago, IL
505 Thu Apr 18 09:31:36 EDT 2013 Juanita Brittian ABLE Ottawa Lake, MI Every life is precious--young and old.
504 Wed Apr 17 11:16:47 EDT 2013 Lamar Potts Our Mother's Voice Columbia, SC because I care for the well being of the elderly
503 Wed Apr 17 10:30:04 EDT 2013 Deborah Hamilton Baltimore City Commission on Aging Baltimore, MD As an advocate for long-term care facility residents I have received/investigated reports of residents being injured by the use of bedrails. Bedrails are known to expose residents’ to possible injury and More....
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