When you spend most of your time in bed, it’s important to keep all of your essential needs close to you.
Bed rails are usually bought for safety, since they help people move and adjust themselves in bed more independently and prevent falls. But many people customized them as a way to create a mini-entertainment, medication, and nourishment center.
For example, some people added hanging bags that folded over and could be secured via velcro to the rail. So while the bedrail might be purchased at first because worries about falling, it can be useful for lots of other things too. “It was a safety margin thing for us.” But as time wore on, one person told me, “It’s still there because it holds a lot. We have a bag where she could put the cell phone and this and that, some paraphernalia. I put the cup holder on there so she could grab her own water bottle now with a straw, and stuff like that.” It’s also important to her quality of life now that her ebook reader, glasses, and so on can be kept right there so she can stay engaged in the world.
Others who also customized their bed rails added pockets and hanging bags to hold medication, med lists, and a bell for getting a caregiver’s attention. Rigging up bed rails helps bed life work!