My 81-year-old mother had been on her own for so long, ably taking care of herself and doing everything for herself. It was how she wanted it. It is how she wants it.
On a Tuesday afternoon, right at the beginning of Covid, she did one of the things she has done for as long as she can remember – she went out to the end of her driveway to pull her garbage can back into the garage. As a good gust of wind caught the large plastic can, she lost her balance while she kept ahold of the can. And down she went.
After the surgery to repair her broken hip, she, her surgeon and the family made the decision to move her directly back home with full-time assistance and with regular visiting in-home physical therapy to regain her strength and mobility. Because I had retired 6 months prior, I was available and happy to move in with her. Mom’s a fabulous person to hang with, and this solution had the added value of reducing the number of people coming and going into her house throughout the day for in-home care, minimizing her exposure to covid. I was with her day and night, so I saw first-hand the physical and emotional challenges of one recovering from broken hip.
She did not want to need help. She wanted as much control over her life as she used to have, or at least as much as possible. My hovering – although useful – was not what she wanted in her new normal.
I bought tools and products to help her to get in and out of bed on her own, to help her put on her socks, and to safely “carry” things between rooms while using her walker. These and other gadgets were very helpful and made a big difference in how much she could do for herself, feeding her need for self-sufficiency and self-respect.
In addition, she still had the intellectual acuity to continue to run her life; to manage her bills and her checking account, make appointments, deal with prescriptions, read books and newspapers, watch her favorite shows, etc. But for many weeks, her injury was such that she could not even put her recliner in the upright position without help. And she couldn’t get into or out of other chairs around the house without help.
So, she did what many people in her situation do. She started accumulating the things she needed to manage her life, and all those things piled up near her chair… on top of the table next to her and on the footstool that she had me move close to her chair.
She continually fought with the resulting disorganization. She was embarrassed by the mess. She was frustrated with the lack of efficiency. She was challenged in keeping her tablet charged throughout the day because she would use it for multiple-hour zoom meetings connecting her to friends during the pandemic. And she really hated when things regularly fell to the floor out of her reach. I had seen similar frustrations with multiple other family members and friends as they were less mobile due to illness or injury.
As mom improved and I had more time on my hands, I considered a table design that would provide anyone with temporary or permanent physical challenges the safe self-sufficiency that they want and deserve. Based on what I observed with Mom and her inputs, we identified the requirements for a table that would let people be more self-reliant while they are dealing with physical mobility issues.
We are proud to say that the BetterWayz EndTM Table has now been developed, through multiple design and prototype iterations, and is available to serve all of the functions that you or your loved one would need during times when it is difficult to re-adjust or leave your chair. Or even those times when you just don’t want to leave your chair!
Easy access, configurable storage space
Figure 1: The BetterWayzTM End Table, front view, closed and open positions
This table has easy access to all internal space. No change in sitting position is necessary to open the table and access the storage space inside. With a light push against any of the three ridge handles on either side of the table (See Figure 1), the easy-glide mechanisms in the table allow the tabletop to slide open and access the storage in the bottom drawer and back pocket. Alternatively, if a caregiver desires easy access, the table could be opened using the handle on the front of the top drawer. Once the tabletop is open, placing a hand inside of the cutout on the interior top drawer, the user can pull back the interior top drawer to access additional stored items (See Figure 2). A total of ~4 ft3 internal storage space is available inside the table, in the interior top drawer, the bottom drawer, and the back pocket, and is easily configurable by placing dividers in the drawers where they work best for the user.
Figure 2: The BetterWayzTM End Table, with interior top drawer in closed and open position.
Power ready
The BetterWayzTM End Table has been designed to enable the user to have safe access to needed powered items while staying comfortably seated.
Your power strip can be positioned anywhere in the back pocket of the table allowing accessibility to the power strip that works best for the user (see Figure 3). There are two power cord access throughways in the bottom of the table to allow the power cord from the power strip to drop through the bottom of the table and be plugged into a nearby outlet. In addition, there is a device wire throughway on either side of the table, which allows the user to bring a device that is plugged into the power strip inside the table to the outside of the table for use without damaging or pinching the cord for your device.
Figure 3: Placement of your power strip in the back pocket of the BetterWayzTM End Table
Easy start up
At BetterWayzTM, we know how hard it is to obtain the tools and gadgets needed to get your loved one back to a better normal. Finding the right things is difficult, and sometimes getting them to the house is challenging. That is why we deliver the BetterWayzTM table fully assembled. No different sized screws and bolts, no confusing drawings or instructions necessary.
All you have to do is:
- Open the box
- Place the table where you want it
- Slide the provided dividers into the slots where you want them so that the table storage works best for the user’s needs, and
- Secure your own power strip in the back pocket of the table where it works best for the user with the hook and loop double-stick fasteners we provide.
And that’s it! You’re good to go!!
Finally, we designed the BetterWayz End table to blend in with your home furnishings. It is made of wood, not plastic and metal, so it fits in with many decors without making the user feel like they are living with hospital furniture. A little bit of dignity goes a long way!
We hope that you find that the BetterWayzTM End Table meets the needs of you and your loved ones. At BetterWayzTM, we have found that giving people back their autonomy and self-sufficiency, even in this small way, goes a long way to improving their outlook and their quality of life.
Please visit our website at betterwayzsolutions.com to learn more about BetterWayzTM and the BetterWayzTM End Table.
We hope you join us as we continue to find… BetterWayz!
