Bed Table Needs For The Elderly

 atHand Premium Overbed Table System Bundle with Accessory Kit (Cup Holder, Shelf Basket, Trash bin & Storage bin) Storage, Reading Light, USB and Power Outlets (Brown Left Hand Orientation)

Outfit Your Elderly Loved One’s Bed Table For Comfort – And Safety

I learned first hand what items were best to have on hand by an elderly person’s bed table as I cared for my own mother, Gertie, for the five years prior to her death in 2012.

When Mom first came to live with me, her bedside table looked just like mine with a clock, a light, a book, etc. But, as the years went by and Mom became more frail, her bed table morphed into a plethora of items she and I both needed to have on hand for her daily comfort.

Included in our new version of a bedside table for the elderly were items that improved my Mom’s health (like the portable blood pressure cuff) and well being (like the flameless candle I bought her – actually, that’s an excellent present for any elderly person as there’s no flame at all).

The atHand bedside table that you see there above is a bedside table on steroids! It has room for everything an elderly loved one could ever dream of and it pivots so it can easily be moved out of the way for getting into or out of bed.

Beware though, that bedside table comes with a very hefty pricetag!

Pretty Tissue Box Holders

Trust me on this; you’re going to want to have tissues handy on the bed table. A regular tissue box is fine but we preferred a tissue box holder that wouldn’t move around when we were looking for tissues.

 Claybox Elegant Hand Crafted Wooden Scholar’s Antique Book Tissue Box Dispenser InterDesign Twigz Bath, Boutique Box, Vanilla/Bronze Lenox Chirp Tissue Box Holder Kleenex Ultra Soft Facial Tissues 130 Count (Pack of 8), Disposable Facial Tissues, Gentle and Durable, 3-Ply Thickness, Designs May Vary Kleenex Ultra Soft Facial Tissues, Cube Box, 75 Tissues per Cube Box, 18 Packs

Add A Day Clock So Your Elderly Loved One Will Know What Day It Is

The day clock below with day and date is one of the best selling items on my website. It’s just right around 8″ so it is the perfect size for a bed table. It’s also the perfect clock for someone with low vision and, it even puts off just enough light (it dims at night) to serve as a small nightlight.

To see more wonderful day clocks (there’s a whole bunch of different types), click this link – Day Clocks.

 SVINZ 3 Alarms Dementia Clock, 2 Auto-Dim Options, Large Display Digital Calendar Day Clock for Vision Impaired, Elderly, Memory Loss, Black, SDC008W DayClocks Classic Day of The Week Fun Retirement Gift – Mahogany Wall Clock, 9 Round American Lifetime [Newest Version] Day Clock – Extra Large Impaired Vision Digital Clock with Battery Backup & 5 Alarm Options (Brown Wood Color) DayClox The Original Memory Loss Digital Calendar Day Clock with Extra Large Non-Abbreviated Day & Month. Perfect for Seniors

Small Blood Pressure Cuffs

I took Mom’s blood pressure every morning – once before arising and once after she’d been in the sitting position for about 5 minutes. I always made sure to record the blood pressure readings on a small tablet of paper I kept on her bedside table.

 Omron 3 Series Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor Ozeri BP4M CardioTech Premium Series Digital Arm Blood Pressure Monitor with Hypertension Color Alert Technology N American Healthcare Wristech Blood Pressure Monitor with Case

Touch On, Touch Off Lamps

We own two of these touch on, touch off lamps and couldn’t be happier about it. During the night, my Mom would have to get up frequently and I was concerned that the night light wasn’t bright enough to light the path. Mom also had arthritis in her hands so she had little strength and, most of the time, didn’t have the dexterity to turn a light on the tradition way. I strongly suggest one of these touch on, touch off lamps as a great gift for a senior citizen.

To see more touch on, touch off lamps, click here.

 LumiSource Doe Li Touch-On 19-Inch Metal Table Lamp with Frosted-Glass Shade Kira Home Lucerna 13″ Touch Bedside LED Table Lamp, Energy Efficient, Eco-Friendly, White Canvas Shade Bedroom Table Lamp with On/ Off Touch Sensor (2 Pack Set) Simple Designs LT2014-WHT-2PK Mini Touch Table Lamp Set with White Shades, 2-Pack

Vintage Look Hairbrush Sets

My Mom had her mother’s silver hairbrush set which was always present on Mom’s bedside table. Every single time I brushed my Mom’s hair, morning, noon and night, was a touching moment for both of us. The connection to my grandmother was definitely there, and we’d speak of her frequently.

 3 pc Silver Chrome Girls Vanity Set Comb Brush Mirror. ANTIQUE 3 PC DRESSER SET – ANTIQUE 3 PIECE SILVER DRESSER SET

Add A Pretty Basket To The Bedside Table

Mom used an old woven basket on her bed table to hold person items like lotions, lip balm, baby powder, etc. I finally replaced it with a nicer basket and even included some new hygiene items for her.

Rectangular baskets seemed to work the best for Mom’s bedside table. We liked ones without handles also (or handles that folded down) as they made retrieving items easier.

 Whitmor 6500-1959 Rattique Baskets, Java, Set of 3 Household Essentials Set of Three Woven Seagrass Storage Utility Baskets, Natural Gifts & Decor Bamboo Handle Woven Corn Husk Nesting Basket, 3-Piece Quickway Imports Rectangular Willow Basket with White Fabric Lining

Keep Hygiene Items Handy On The Bed Table

I always made sure to have antibacterial wipes on hand for Mom’s protection and mine.

Keep Hygiene Items Handy….

….You’ll Need Them!

There’s some facts that just can’t be disputed and, one of those is that it becomes increasingly harder to perform daily living tasks as we age. Mom was able to bathe with me supervising when she first moved in with me. Five years later though, while recovering from a broken hip, it was up to me to bathe her and freshen her up during the day.

The below hygiene items are nice to have right there next to the bed although they could easily be relegated to a nearby bathroom. The Comfort Bath washcloths were a life saver on more than one occasion:

 No Rinse Shampoo Cap (5-Pack) Comfort Bath Value Size! Personal Cleansing, Ultra-Thick Disposable Washcloths, 4 packs of 8 Burt’s Bees Lip Balm, Beeswax, 0.15 oz., 4 Count Aveeno Moisturizing Lotion 2/18oz Wet Ones Fresh Scent Anti-Bacterial Wipes, 5-Canister 48 Wipes