the

1. BED MAKING
Provide Support to
Meet Personal Care
Needs
CHCIC301A

2. Bed Making
 Ongoing provision of basic cleanliness,
comfort and safety
 Clients may spend long periods of time in
bed, undertaking various activities –
depending on individual health state, and on
situational factors (ie if at home, or in a
health care agency)

3. Principles
Factors to consider with each bedmaking
episode:
 Prevention of cross-infection
 Safety and comfort for the client
 Maintenance of good body mechanics

4. Prevention of cross-infection
 Wash hands or use alcohol hand rub before
and after making each bed
 If linen is very soiled, wear gloves for
removal
 Dirty linen is put immediately into soiled linen
bag (white or brown bag) or as per
organisation – never onto floor !!

5.  Don’t shake or flick linen excessively
 Linen shouldn’t touch floor, or be held up
against carer’s clothing
 Linen should only be put onto a clean
surface prior to bed making
 NO interchange of linen between clients

6. Client safety and comfort
 Ensure that bed brakes are on, and that bed
is returned to its original position (usually to a
height the resident can easily access), after
bed making is complete
 Promote comfort, by having sheets free of
rough areas, wrinkles or creases, food
crumbs and foreign bodies

7.  Avoid areas of potential pressure, ie hems of
sheets away from direct contact with client’s
skin
 If waterproofing layer is used, must not
come into contact with client’s skin
 Need to particularly consider safety and
comfort, if client occupies bed whilst it is
being made

8. Body mechanics of the carer
 Maintain good body alignment when bed
making – avoid bending, stretching and
twisting
 Use large leg muscles (bend knees), rather
than back muscles
 Work smoothly and rhythmically – 2 people
to make beds together is optimal

9.  If able, raise bed to a comfortable working
height (usually waist high) – to avoid bending
and back strain
 Prepare well – gather all equipment initially,
and avoid legwork

10. Bed features
 Many types of beds available, with multiple
modifications possible
 In health agencies, most are “hi-lo”, allowing
adjustment of the bed base up and down
 Most also allow position changes, ie
head/feet up/down

12.  Different types of operation – some have
hand-winding action, others with hydraulic
foot pump mechanism and release button,
some are electric
 Bed brakes
 Bed heads and feet are detachable, for
emergency access situations, or for transfer
of clients on their beds

13. Bed “attachments”
 Trapeze/overhead “monkeybar”
 Bedstick
 Drainage tube bag hangers
 Client call bell
 Bed siderails – may constitute restraint!

14. Bed aids
 Most bed aids relate to the comfort and
correct positioning of a client
 If bed aids used, need to be appropriately
selected and used
 Pillows – with waterproof cover

15. Bed aids - Mattress
 Many different types
 Air alternating
 Egg carton

16.  Bed cradle
 Sheepskin – for under buttocks, or
elbow/heel protectors
 Wedges/wedge shaped pillows
 Footboards/foot bolsters
 Absorbent layers

17. Sheepskins
 Medical sheepskins –
green in color
 30mm pile (springy),
especially tanned
 High density-creates a
cushion that distributes
body weight & pressure
points over a large
area-each fibre acts as
a spring

18. Sheepskins Cont.
 Wool can absorb
moisture up to 33% of
its weight without
feeling wet
 Reduces friction &
shear
 Medical sheepskins are
stamped

19. The steps to making an unoccupied bed
 Wash & dry hands
 Place clean linen &
soiled linen skip near
the bed
 Ensure that there is a
chair on which to
place the bed clothes
 Ideally there would be
two people to make
the bed

20.  Move the bedside locker &
over bed table if necessary
 Adjust the height of the bed
– it should sit about hip
height
 Place pillows on the bed.
Place any soiled pillow slips
in the skip
 Loosen the upper bed
clothes

21.  Remove each item of
upper bed clothes
separately, fold &
place on the chair.
Loosen the bottom
bed clothes, fold &
place on the chair.
Any soiled items are
placed in the linen
skip
 Roll, rather than fold
the waterproof sheet
(if applicable)

22.  Pull the mattress well
up to the head of the
bed
 Commencing with the
bottom sheet, each
item is replaced
separately
 Ensure the hem of the
sheets is facing
outward to protect the
resident’s skin

23. Some facilities
will have fitted
bottom sheets
Note the centre of
the sheet follows
down the middle of
the bed

24.  If a draw sheet or Kylie
sheet / Kylie pad is
used it is positioned
approximately 25cm
from the head of the
bed. The bed clothes
should be centred and
unless being made up
as an open bed, tucked
in around the mattress

25. The mitred or military corner
 Most hospitals and
residential care facilities
will make their beds
with the sheets having
a mitred corner

26. The steps
 Once the sheet is placed on
the bed tuck the bottom end
of the sheet under the end
of the mattress
 Pick up, about 20-30cm
from the end of the sheet,
and place it on the top of the
bed – this should make a bit
of a triangle shape
 Tuck the sheet that is still
hanging toward the floor
under the bottom of the
matteress

27. The steps continued
 Then bring the top part of the
triangle down and tuck into the
mattress for the BOTTOM sheet
 Each layer of linen is tucked in the
same way
 Often the top sheet and blankets
are left without the step above so
that all of the sheets are not tucked
in along the side of the bed – this
makes it easier to get patients and
residents back into bed

28. A mitred corner

29.  At the top end of the bed, fold
the top sheet over the
blanket. The top layer of
blanket is generally tucked
under from the top
 Ensure there are no wrinkles
in any layer of the linen

30.  Many facilities will have their own policies about using
resident’s own linen, and how the bed should look
 Some facilities do not like to have blankets underneath showing
 Be aware of your facility’s policy on laundering of personal linen

31.  Replace & arrange the pillows to meet the resident’s needs
 If a person is to return to bed, the top corner of the upper bed
clothes may be folded back
 Ensure the bed is returned back to an appropriate level for the
resident to get back into bed, and place call bells etc in reach
 Make sure there is no linen hanging on the floor

32.  Replace any furniture
 Tidy around the resident’s bed side eg serviettes, tissues etc
 Remove linen skip
 Wash & dry your hands

33. Now to make the occupied bed
 Wash & dry hands
 Explain the procedure to the individual &
ensure privacy
 Collect clean linen & linen skip before
commencing to make the bed
 Move the bedside locker & over bed table if
necessary

34.  Ensure there is a nearby chair on which to place
the bed clothes
 Adjust the height of the bed
 Leaving sufficient pillows to support the individual,
place the reminder on the chair
 Remove each item of upper bedclothes separately.
Bed clothes to be replaced are folded and put on
the chair. Cover the person with a procedure
blanket before removing the top sheet. Place
soiled items into the linen skip
 Remove accessories such as bed cradle

35.  Support the individual & gently turn him onto one side of the
bed. If only one nurse is making the bed, the side rail away
from her should be elevated (if insitu)
 Loosen the bottom sheets on the occupied side, and roll
each one towards the centre of the bed. Brush out any debris
eg crumbs. Eliminate any creases from the mattress cover
 Working at the unoccupied side of the bed, either:
 Unroll, pull the bottom sheets taut, and tuck in around the
mattress OR If
using a fresh sheet, place on the bed and unfold it so that
centre laundry crease lies at the centre of the mattress. Tuck
in at the top, bottom and side. Roll the excess to the centre
of the bed

36.  Carefully turn the individual to the other side of the bed,
providing adequate support as he is moved. If appropriate,
elevate side rail
 From the opposite side of the bed, either:
 Remove any soiled sheets and place in the linen skip
 OR
 Untuck and roll sheet/s to the centre of the bed
 Ensure that side of the mattress is free from debris and
ceases, unroll and tuck the sheet/s in around the mattress
 Assist the individual back into the centre of the bed, arrange
the pillows to meet the need and assist him into position

37.  Replace any accessories, put on the top sheet and
remove the procedure blanket
 Replace the blankets and quilt, ensuring that they
are positioned to cover the individual’s chest and
shoulders. Make foot pleats in the upper bed
clothes and avoid tucking them in to tightly
 Adjust the height of the bed – ensure nurse call
bell within reach
 Replace any furniture. Remove the linen skip.
Wash and dry hands.