A patient support, such as a bed, a cot, a stretcher, or the like, for supporting an occupant includes sensors adapted to detect a status of the patient support, such as the width of the width-adjustable patient support component or the locked or unlocked state of the patient support component. A control system for the patient support is configured to determine if the patient support is in an unacceptable status, such as an unacceptable width configuration or an unlocked state, based on the sensed status. The control system is adapted to issue an alert or take action or prompt a caregiver to take an action if the patient support status is unacceptable.