A companion bed lets a partner, parent or carer sleep in the same room, close to the person receiving care. For palliative clients, people with dementia and children in hospital, an overnight presence in the room settles the night for everyone and cuts the number of calls for help.
Practically, it gives the person staying over a proper bed for the night, which matters when a stay runs into weeks. Families who have been through a long admission tend to name this as the thing that made it survivable.
It suits hospital wards, hospices, aged care homes and homes set up for palliative care at home.
