Can a hospital bed go upstairs?

[junk1]

Wasnt sure what news group to post this question to as it crosses a few boundaries.

Basically my disabled nan has been living at home (a bungalow) and receiving help from Bromley social services to lift her out of bed using a hoist and take her to the toilet etc. We all want her to move in with my father who owns a house in Maidstone, but Maidstone social services are not being entirely helpful and the lastest hurdle is that they say a hospital bed is not allowed upstairs - but they didnt give a reason.

The bed does dismatle so we could get it up the stairs, but were wondering if there was a weight restriction on the bedroom floor?

...ie with the special bed, plus hoist plus three adults would the floor be in danger of giving way?

Its a modern house (4 years old) Does anyone know how strong the floors have to be?

If houses are built with such a large safety margin that there is absolutaly no danger with three adults and a special hospital bed then at least we can know that social services are misleading us.

Any help grately appreciated.

Thanks

David Bevan

[Pat]

I am betting that Ken Tucker is right. It has nothing to do with load, it has to do with fire-evacuation.

1.) Many homes have basements. So, first floor bedroom are built on floor systems exactly like the second floor -- and no one worries about them crashing into the basement (at least too much). If someone is worried about the flooring, put a small square of wood under the legs.

2.) It's not like you can't image situations that involve 3 people and a bed. :-))) Okay, get those dirty thoughts out of your mind. I mean something like your local minister visiting your sick aunt. ;-) Take my two kids, let them get wound up and jumping around, and you get aone heck of a lot more load then three adults will ever give you.

3.) At least in New York, there are similar situations. ALL commercial day care centers have to have at grade entrances where you can roll out cribs. -- no matter the fire rating.

4.) At least around here, nursing homes that are multi-floor have steel frames and concrete floors for fire protection.

I doubt that it's a structural issue. I think it is a bureacrat citing a regulation and not knowing why it is a regulation, so trying to be helpful and filling in the blanks.

Good luck with it.

[Guy King]

The message [e-mail]>

from "Pat" [e-mail] contains these words:

Not in the UK they don't!

[Bob Eager]

Not to mention his American mis-numbering of floors, which muddied things still further..

[Tim French]

[Guy King]

The message from "Warm Worm" contains these words:

Find any pairs of size nine chukka boots?

[Warm Worm]

For which species?

[Phil Bradshaw]

Does it matter when arse and elbow likely go with the anomaly too?