Floor Beds for Fall-Risk Patients: Why a Wide High-Low Range Matters (Accora Empresa & Contesa, 2026)
By the SlumberSource team. Published: October 2026.
A floor bed is the simplest fall-prevention tool there is: if the mattress is only a few inches off the floor, a person who rolls out at 3 a.m. slides onto a mat instead of falling onto a hard floor. But the low number is only half the story. The beds that work best for people prone to falls are the ones that also climb high enough for a caregiver to work standing up, and stop at the right height in between for a safe sit-to-stand.
That full span, from floor level to caregiver height, is what we mean by a wide vertical high-low range. Accora builds its floor beds around it, and the Accora Empresa covers the whole distance in one frame: under one foot off the floor, mattress included, up to more than three feet. This guide explains why that range matters, who benefits, and how to set it up at home.
Short answer: A floor bed protects a fall-risk sleeper only if it can also rise for daytime care. Look for a frame that drops to about 4 inches or less (under 1 foot with the mattress) and rises to about 30 inches or more. The Accora Empresa runs 9.9 to 37.5 inches with a 6-inch mattress, the widest range we install. The Accora Super Low Floor Bed has the lowest floor position (2.8 inches at the frame). The Accora Contesa sits between the two.
What Makes a Bed a “Floor Bed”?
A floor bed is a full-electric hi-low hospital bed whose frame lowers to within about 4 inches of the floor. Put a standard 6-inch mattress on it and the sleep surface is still under a foot high, roughly the height of a low step. For comparison, a typical home hospital bed bottoms out around 20 to 22 inches with the mattress on, which is a long way to fall for someone with fragile hips.
Plenty of beds call themselves “low”. If you want to compare every low and ultra-low option we carry, including 7-inch beds that cost less, see our guide to low hospital beds for fall prevention. This article is about one thing that guide only touches on: why the top of the range matters as much as the bottom.
Why the Range Matters More Than the Low Number
A fall-risk person does not spend the whole day lying down. Over 24 hours the same bed has three jobs, each needing a different height:
| Job | Height (top of mattress) | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sleep | Under 12" (floor level) | A roll-out becomes a short slide onto a mat. No rails to climb over. |
| Sit and stand | About 18–22" for most adults | Feet flat, knees level with or just below the hips. The easiest position for a safe, independent stand. |
| Care | About 30–37" (caregiver's hip height) | Bathing, dressing, wound care and repositioning done standing up, not bent over. |
A bed that only goes low fixes the night-time risk but forces caregivers to kneel or stoop for every task. A bed that only goes high is comfortable to work at but leaves a long drop at night. A wide high-low range means the family never has to choose: lower the bed for sleep, raise it for care, and stop at sitting height for transfers.
What the Evidence Shows
Falls are the leading cause of injury among older adults, and the CDC estimates that more than one in four people aged 65+ fall each year. In the bedroom the two things you can control are how far it is to the floor and what the person lands on.
Floor beds have been studied directly. A 2019 pilot study in Wound Management & Prevention followed 12 residents of an Illinois senior living community, most with a history of falls, after they moved to Accora FloorBeds. Over an average of 11 weeks, bedroom falls dropped from 15 to 3 (an 80% reduction) and there were no falls from bed at all. It is a small study and not proof on its own, but it points the same way as long-term-care practice, which has largely moved from rails to low beds and mats.
5 Benefits of a Floor Bed With a Wide High-Low Range
1. Falls become rolls
At floor level, with a beveled fall mat on the exit side, someone who gets up without help or rolls in their sleep travels a few inches, not two feet. That is the difference between a startled wake-up and a hip fracture.
2. No rails to climb over
A confused person will often climb over a full side rail, which makes the fall higher, not lower. Gaps around rails also carry an entrapment risk, which is why the FDA publishes guidance on bed rail use. A floor bed removes the reason for full rails. A short assist rail at the head end still helps with sitting up without boxing the person in.
3. The caregiver's back is protected
Patient handling is one of the main causes of back injury in care work. CDC testimony to Congress noted that nursing aides have the highest rate of work-related back pain among women workers in the U.S., and family caregivers do the same lifting without the training. Raising the bed to hip height for every turn, change and wash, then lowering it again, is the cheapest back protection a household can buy. This is where the extra few inches at the top of the Empresa's range earn their keep, especially for taller caregivers.
4. Safer, more independent transfers
Somewhere in the middle of the range is the height where the person can sit on the edge with feet flat and stand with the least effort. A wide-range bed can stop exactly there, so people who can still stand keep doing it themselves for longer. Our installers set this as a preset so it is one button press every morning.
5. One bed as needs change
Fall risk tends to grow over time with dementia, Parkinson’s or stroke recovery. Someone who only needs a sit-to-stand height today may need a floor setting and full hands-on care next year. A bed that covers the whole range does not need replacing when that happens.
Accora Floor Beds Compared
Frame heights come from Accora's specifications. Heights with mattress assume a standard 6-inch mattress. “Travel” is the total vertical distance the bed covers. All three are full-electric with Trendelenburg tilt and come with delivery, professional installation and free lifetime in-home tech support.
| Model | Frame height | With 6" mattress | Travel | Capacity | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accora Super Low Floor Bed | 2.8–25.6" | ≈8.8–31.6" | 22.8" | 330 lb (36") / 496 lb (42") | from $3,285 | The lowest floor position; 42" width option |
| Accora Contesa | 3.9–29" | 9.9–35" | 25.1" | 420 lb | from $3,297 | Floor-level safety plus chair position |
| Accora Empresa (12-function) | 3.9–31.5" | 9.9–37.5" | 27.6" | 525 lb | from $3,847 | Widest range: under 1 ft to over 3 ft; BodyMove pressure care |
The Accora Empresa and Accora Contesa
Both are Accora FloorBeds with the same 3.9-inch floor position, so the night-time protection is identical: 9.9 inches to the top of a 6-inch mattress. The difference is how high they go, how much weight they carry and what else they do.
Accora Empresa: the widest range
- Height: 3.9–31.5 in at the frame, 9.9–37.5 in with a 6-inch mattress. That is under one foot to over three feet, 27.6 inches of travel.
- Capacity: 525 lb, the highest of Accora's floor beds.
- Pressure care: BodyMove auto-regression lets the backrest slide back as it rises, so skin is not dragged. Accora's testing showed 23% lower average sacral pressure than beds without it.
- Safety: 12 electric functions including Trendelenburg and reverse Trendelenburg, a caregiver lockout on the handset, and an auto-stop that will not lower the bed below 8 inches without a second button press.
- Build: eight castors with UniSafe one-pedal braking, 12-year frame and 4-year electrical warranty, 36" or 42" wide and 80" or 84" long, optional Skandi wood side panels.
- Price: from $3,847. See the Accora Empresa.
Choose the Empresa when there is daily hands-on care, a tall caregiver, a heavier user, or a risk of pressure injuries. The extra 2.5 inches at the top over the Contesa is what lets most caregivers work fully upright.
Accora Contesa: floor-level safety at a lower price
- Height: 3.9–29 in at the frame, 9.9–35 in with a 6-inch mattress, 25.1 inches of travel.
- Capacity: 420 lb.
- Comfort: auto-contour to stop the person sliding down the bed, plus a one-touch chair position for meals, reading and visitors.
- Safety: Trendelenburg and reverse Trendelenburg tilt, full-electric hi-low with caregiver controls, and a vertical lift that rises straight up without making the bed's footprint any bigger, which helps in small bedrooms.
- Build: 12-year frame and 4-year electrical warranty, 36" wide, 80" or 84" long.
- Price: from $3,297. See the Accora Contesa.
Choose the Contesa when the main worry is falls at night, the person is under 420 lb, and the room is tight. It gives the same floor-level protection as the Empresa for $550 less.
And the Super Low Floor Bed? If the lowest possible drop matters more than caregiver height, the Accora Super Low Floor Bed goes down to 2.8 inches at the frame (about 8.8 inches with a mattress) and offers a 42-inch, 496 lb version. It tops out lower, at about 31.5 inches with the mattress.
Who Needs a Floor Bed and Who Doesn't
- Good fit: anyone who gets out of bed at night without calling for help, rolls out in their sleep, has delirium or dementia with wandering, or has already had a fall from bed.
- Good fit: people on blood thinners or with osteoporosis, where even a short fall can cause a serious injury.
- Probably not needed: someone who transfers safely on their own and mostly needs help with positioning. A standard hi-low adjustable bed will do.
- Look at weight first: above 400 lb, check capacity before height. The Empresa is rated to 525 lb and the 42" Super Low Floor Bed to 496 lb.
Setting Up the Heights at Home
Ask the installer to save three presets on the handset: sleep (lowest), transfer (feet flat, knees at hip level) and care (caregiver's hip height). Put a beveled fall mat on the exit side, keep the path to the bathroom clear of rugs and cords, and add a motion night-light. Make it a habit to lower the bed to the sleep preset every time care is finished. A raised floor bed protects no one. Our hospital bed safety guide covers mattress fit and rail gaps in more detail.
Paying for a Floor Bed
Medicare treats total-electric height adjustment as a convenience feature, so floor beds are almost always private purchases. Our Medicare coverage guide explains what is and is not covered, and financing is available on every bed. Prices include white-glove delivery and installation by certified technicians nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a floor bed?
A floor bed is a full-electric hi-low bed whose frame lowers to within about 4 inches of the floor, so that even with a mattress on it the sleep surface sits under a foot high. A person who rolls out lands a few inches down, usually onto a fall mat, instead of dropping from a standard bed. The Accora floor beds go down to 2.8–3.9 inches at the frame.
How high do Accora floor beds go?
To the top of a 6-inch mattress, the Accora Empresa rises to 37.5 inches, the Contesa to 35 inches and the Super Low Floor Bed to about 31.5 inches. The Empresa therefore covers the full span from under one foot to over three feet in a single bed.
Why does the high end of the range matter for fall prevention?
Because nobody should leave a fall-risk person at floor level during the day. The same bed has to come up to a safe sit-to-stand height for transfers and to a caregiver's hip height for bathing, changing and repositioning. A bed that only goes low forces caregivers to kneel or bend, and a bed that only goes high leaves a long fall at night.
Are floor beds safe without side rails?
For most people who climb out of bed, yes, and it is often safer. Full side rails can be climbed over, which turns a short roll into a higher fall, and gaps around rails carry an entrapment risk the FDA has issued guidance on. A floor bed with a mat on the exit side removes both problems; a short assist rail at the head end is still useful for sitting up.
Does Medicare cover a floor bed?
Generally no. Medicare Part B covers a basic semi-electric hospital bed when it is medically necessary, but it treats total-electric height adjustment as a convenience feature, so floor beds are usually private purchases. SlumberSource offers financing on every bed, and no prescription is needed to buy.
Not sure which floor bed fits?
Tell us the person's height, weight and how often they get up at night, and we will match the right Accora model and presets. Compare the Empresa, Contesa and Super Low Floor Bed, browse all homecare hospital beds, or call (888) 912-2746.
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Specifications are from the manufacturer and prices are SlumberSource catalog prices as of October 2026; both may change. Fall-prevention needs depend on the individual. Talk to the person's doctor, therapist or care team before choosing equipment.
