How Do I Lower My Hospital Side Table?

Place your hand below the tabletop and lift it to the appropriate height. To adjust the height, release hand pressure. To lower my hospital side table top, raise the release lever and gently lower the tabletop to the desired height. An overbed table may be more of a need than a pleasure for seniors who spend more time in bed. When there’s a firm surface nearby for mess-free dining, working, or playing games, it’s a lot simpler to enjoy being in bed. Overbed tables provide a sense of freedom that bedbound persons would otherwise miss.

When shopping for the ideal overbed table, seek one that is lightweight and provides lots of surface area without getting in the way. Some overbed tables offer innovative features like adjustable table heights or storage drawers for extra room, which make them even more useful. Here’s how to choose the right overbed table for you.

What Is an Overbed Table?

An overbed table was exactly as it sounds like: a rectangular deck that is meant to be placed on top of a bed. They’re often designed for hospital patients, elderly with restricted mobility, and those who are confined to their beds at home.

Nicole Brackett, care delivery as well as education manager at Homewatch CareGivers, a home health service with multiple locations nationwide, explains, “It’s like a portable table that’s height-adjustable and used as a supportive flat surface for a person to be able to sit up in bed for meals and other activities.” “An overbed table is a table that spans the width of the bed and is usually equipped with a crank or similar technology for changing the table’s height and tilting the top to the appropriate angle.”

What Is an Overbed Table Used For?

According to Brackett, “people often acquire an overbed table if they expect to be restricted to their bed or a sitting posture for the bulk of their day owing to surgical recuperation or other physical constraints.” As a result, overbed tables have a wide range of applications. What it boils down to is that an overbed table gives the user a sense of freedom by allowing them to conduct basic tasks like playing a card game while confined to their bed.

“While people may require greater care when their abilities deteriorate with age or as a result of a chronic ailment, they must be able to appreciate and partake in the basic joys of life,” adds Brackett. Overbed tables, she points out, can be utilized for both convenience and need. They can be useful for writing, reading, propping a meal tray, and even using a computer.

When not in use, maintain overbed tables near to the bed since they provide a convenient flat surface for storing needs such as ice, water, and medications. “They encourage quick access to fluids and assist caregivers not make as many trips for goods like remotes, Kleenex, magazines, or a mobile phone,” explains Nena Hart, owner and executive consultant at Hart Healthcare Solutions in Tennessee. “Getting commonly used objects that are positioned across the room or out of reach might lead to falls,” says the author.