Bed for ALS patient:

“This bed made me want to get up in the morning”

Jan Rønhoff was diagnosed with ALS, a degenerative neurological disease, at age 48. He was used to an active  life as a farmer and married to the local priest. ALS forced him to move to a care home, and at about the same time he got a RotoBed®.

I used to be a farmer, and for many years I was very active in both running and riding my bike. Now I am barely able to stand up for a few seconds without support.

I try to focus on the positive things and experiences instead of spending my energy on being negative, and from this perspective the bed has been an incredibly big plus. I realize my situation as an ALS patient is only going to get worse and if I get too negative and frustrated, the disease will escalate.

I spent so much effort getting out of bed

Before I got the RotoBed®, it had been a growing struggle to get up and go to bed; I spent so much effort and was often frustrated. Now it’s effortless and so comfortable I can almost do it in my sleep. The bed makes me want to get out of bed and begin a new day.

The RotoBed® is also neat, considering it is a bed for an ALS patient. A normal hospital bed looks as cold as it could. When this one is moved to its regular position it looks like an ordinary bed, and this is important for me, not least in relation to my 11-year-old daughter who sometimes sleeps over in my flat. When your father gets a disease like this one, there are so many other things to deal with. Eventually I will get to a point where my home will look like a hospital, but it doesn’t have to be that way yet. It is important to me that my daughter can cope with one thing at a time.

The psykological effect is huge

The freedom of being able to manage without help has had a huge psychological effect on me. It also saves money for the municipality – before I had the RotoBed® automatic I needed help from caregivers at least four times a day. Now the only help I receive is one hour of cleaning every two weeks.

Note: Unfortunately, Jan Rønhoff has passed away due to his disease. We thank him for sharing his experiences with RotoBed®. The meeting with Jan made a huge impression because he was able to maintain such an impressive zest for life and a positive attitude despite illness and pain. It is with the permission of Jan’s wife that we continue to tell the story of Jan. 

Sclerosis rotobed rotating bed nursing bed

Who else can benefit from a RotoBed®? See what other users and relatives say about their experiences.

Bed for ALS rotobed care bed

What is ALS – and how can a RotoBed® help?

ALS, or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a group of rare neurological diseases that affect the motor nerve cells in the brain, brainstem and spinal cord.

The upper motor nerves come from the brain and brainstem, and the lower motor nerves come from the spinal cord. The upper motor nerves give signals to the lower motor nerves, which in turn give signals to the muscles of the body, which are under the domination of the will.

In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, both the upper and lower motor nerves die gradually. A muscle receives signals from many of the lower motor nerves, but the parts of the muscle that do not receive signals from dead nerves stop working.

The muscles of the body gradually become smaller and weaker. Over time, there are problems with strength in the arms and legs as well as difficulty swallowing and speaking.

The majority af ALS cases (an estimated 90 percent) are considered sporadic, whice 5-10 percent are genetic. 15.000-16.000 americans suffer from ALS. The disease usually develops between the ages of 55 and 75, and men are slightly more likely to get hit by ALS than women. Some studies suggest that military veterans are about 1.5 to 2 times more likely to develop ALS, and ALS is recognized as a service-connected disease by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke).

There is no cure for ALS yet. If you wish to learn more about ALS, symptoms, stages, clinical trials and more, visit the ALS Association here.

How can a RotoBed® help?

ALS symptoms include muscle twitches, muscle cramps, tight/stiff muscles and muscle weakness. All of these symptoms can make it painful, difficult or even impossible to get out of bed without help.

The only action needed to make the RotoBed® rotate towards exit is pushing a button. This will minimize the problems getting in or out of bed. With a smooth movement, the bed will gently rotate the user from lying to sitting or standing within one minute.

RotoBed®Home is a unique rotating bed for users in private homes. It helps you get in and out of bed without pain, contributing to dignity and a higher quality of life. You can customize RotoBed®Home by choosing between different headboards and textile colours.

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Join us for a live RotoBed® demo