Do adjustable beds help with sit-to-stand?

Yes. When paired with the correct mattress and, where clinically indicated, a bed stick or assist rail, an adjustable bed raised to the client's knee height significantly reduces the effort required for sit-to-stand and lowers the risk of falls during transfers.

Can I trial a Hi-Lo bed at home before buying?

Yes. Sleep Choice delivers, installs and demonstrates the bed and mattress in the client's own bedroom for a 7-day trial. If the setup is not right, we collect it at no charge and no invoice is issued.

What is the safe working load of your mobility beds?

Our standard adjustable beds support up to 200 kg. Bariatric configurations, including King Single XL frames with reinforced structures, are available for clients up to 300 kg and above.

Can mobility equipment be funded through NDIS or Home Care Packages?

Yes. Hi-Lo beds, transfer aids and pressure care mattresses are commonly funded through NDIS Capital Supports, Home Care Packages, and the new Support at Home AT-HM stream. We provide the trial report and OT documentation required for approval.

What is the difference between an assist rail and a full-length rail?

A partial assist rail (also called a bed stick or grab bar) is fitted to one side of the bed to support sit-to-stand and egress. A full-length side rail runs the length of the bed and is used for boundary or fall prevention. For most mobility clients we recommend an assist rail; full-length rails carry entrapment risk and are only used on strict clinical indication.

How is the bed height set for safe transfer?

The bed is set so the client's feet are flat on the floor and their knees form a slightly greater than 90 degree angle when seated on the edge. This is measured on delivery day with the client present, not estimated from a spec sheet.

Mobility and Transfer Solutions

Safe sit-to-stand, carer working heights and assisted transfer setups for clients ageing in place.

What is mobility and transfer, and why does bed choice matter?

Mobility and transfer sleep equipment supports clients with reduced strength, balance or independent movement. In Australia this typically means a Hi-Lo adjustable bed that lowers close to the floor for safe egress and raises to a carer-friendly transfer height, paired with a mattress firm enough to support sit-to-stand and, where indicated, an assist rail or bed stick. Sleep Choice trials the full transfer setup in the client's own home so the OT recommendation can be validated before funding is committed.

The clinical picture

Reduced mobility rarely fails at the bed itself. It fails at the edge of the bed at 6am, when the client tries to sit up, cannot get their weight forward over their feet, and either calls out for a carer or attempts the transfer unsupported. Both outcomes are avoidable with a bed that adjusts to the client, rather than a client who is forced to adjust to the bed.

For families

A standard bed sits at a fixed height that suits the person who bought it 15 years ago. If a family member now needs help to stand from that bed, or if you are helping them and hurting your own back, the fix is a Hi-Lo bed that rises to make transfer easy for both of you and lowers to reduce fall-injury risk overnight.

For clinicians and OTs

For independent transfers, set the bed at the client's knee height with a firm-edge mattress and, where indicated, a bed stick on the strong side. For assisted transfers, the bed should raise to the carer's comfortable working height (typically 60 to 70cm) to protect their back. For hoist-dependent clients, the bed must reach a height that lets the sling clear the mattress without unsafe stooping.

What we look for when matching mobility and transfer

These are the clinical signals our team weighs during the pre-trial planning call, before any equipment leaves the warehouse.

Independent transfer capacity

Can the client transfer without assistance now, with an assist rail, or only with carer or hoist support?

Client knee height

Bed height at egress must match the client's knee height. Too high forces a drop, too low forces a lift.

Carer working height

For any assisted transfer, the bed must raise to protect the carer's back during repositioning or personal care.

Client weight and bariatric needs

Above 200kg the frame must be a reinforced bariatric configuration with matched mattress core density.

Overnight fall-injury risk

A floor-line low position paired with a bedside crash mat significantly reduces injury from unsupervised egress.

Home layout and access

Room dimensions, existing bedside furniture and any hoist gantry are confirmed before delivery, not on the day.

Build a matched kit for this client

Select severity level

Moderate Risk

Independent transfers, occasional fatigue, mild balance concerns

Medium Risk

Assisted transfers, intermittent falls, sit-to-stand difficulty

High Risk

Full hoist transfers, contracture risk, postural instability

How the 7-night trial works for mobility and transfer

A showroom cannot replicate a client's bedroom at 3am. Every trial below is delivered, set up and demonstrated in the client's own home by our team, then reviewed on day 7.

01
The pre-trial planning call confirms the client's current transfer method, weight, knee height and whether a hoist is in use. This drives the specific bed configuration and mattress firmness we bring to the home.
02
On delivery day the bed height is set with the client physically present. Egress height is measured to their knee height, and, if a carer or hoist is used, the safe working height is confirmed with the carer in the room.
03
For 7 nights the client and any regular carer use the bed under real conditions: real transfer routines, real carer shifts, real overnight fatigue. We ask specifically about the first transfer of the morning, which is where most falls happen.
04
On day 7 we review with the client, family or OT. Height, mattress firmness and any assist rail are adjusted or swapped. If the setup is not right, we collect at no cost and no invoice is issued.

12+

Years serving Victorian families

2,400+

7-night trials completed at home

180+

OT and allied-health referrers

Case study — Sit-to-stand transfer risk, HCP

Presenting: Client in their late 70s post-hip fracture, unsteady sit-to-stand transfers, two falls in the previous 6 weeks. Domestic bed too low for safe carer-assisted transfer.
Trial setup: 7-night trial of a Hi-Lo profiling bed with fitted safety rails and a firmer transfer-friendly mattress, delivered and demonstrated with the client's regular carer present.
Day-7 outcome: Zero falls during the trial week. Carer able to lower the bed for the client to plant feet flat before standing, then raise for wash and dress. Client requested to keep the setup.
Funding: Approved under Home Care Package Level 3 in under 4 weeks.

Anonymised composite based on typical Sleep Choice trial outcomes. No individual client is identified.

“We dropped the bed height to knee level for transfers and lifted it back up for personal care. Two carers became one carer overnight, and that alone justified the funding.”

Senior OT, in-home aged care assessment team

Funding pathways for mobility and transfer

Sleep Choice provides the trial report, product specification pack and OT-ready clinical notes required for each scheme. See our full funding options guide for eligibility and step-by-step process.

NDIS

Hi-Lo beds and assisted transfer equipment are recognised assistive technology under NDIS Capital Supports. We provide the AT assessment inputs and trial report your OT needs.

See NDIS pathway

HCP

Home Care Package funds cover Hi-Lo beds, mattresses and assist rails on OT recommendation. We prepare the itemised quote and clinical rationale for the package manager.

See HCP pathway

SAH

Mobility and transfer equipment is eligible under the new Support at Home AT-HM stream. We supply the AT-HM justification pack for the provider.

See SAH pathway

DVA

DVA Gold Card holders with clinical eligibility for mobility support can access Hi-Lo beds and transfer aids through the RAP program.

Related clinical resources

Cognition and falls risk

Overnight fall-injury risk in cognitively impaired clients is managed with floor-line height and boundary aids.

Pressure care

Reduced mobility clients almost always warrant a matched pressure care mattress alongside the Hi-Lo frame.

How our 7-night trial works

Full process, delivery timelines and what to expect on day 1 and day 7.

Mobility and Transfer frequently asked questions

A Hi-Lo bed is an electric adjustable bed that lowers close to the floor and rises to a safe transfer or carer working height. It suits clients with reduced mobility, falls risk, or those needing assisted or hoist transfers, and is a common recommendation from occupational therapists for ageing in place.

Ready to trial the right setup for your client?

We deliver, install and demonstrate the bed and mattress in the client's own bedroom for 7 nights. If it is not right, we collect it at no cost and no invoice is issued.

Book a 7-night trial Talk to our team