The best bedside table for someone with Alzheimer’s disease combines three essential elements: rounded edges for safety, strong color contrast for visibility, and a traditional design that feels familiar rather than confusing. Purpose-built options like the Oxford Dementia Bedside Table (£123.60 + VAT) offer features specifically designed for dementia care, including locking compartments for medications and contrasting drawer fronts. However, standard overbed tables with adjustable heights—such as the Carex Hospital Bed Table or Elevon Overbed Table with Wheels—can work well when selected with dementia-specific criteria in mind. Choosing the right bedside furniture matters more than most caregivers initially realize.
A person with Alzheimer’s may wake disoriented at night, reach for the table edge to steady themselves, or struggle to locate their glasses in low light. The wrong table creates hazards; the right one supports independence and reduces anxiety. For example, a bedside table that blends into the wall color becomes essentially invisible to someone with dementia-related visual processing changes, while one in a warm contrasting tone—reds, oranges, or yellows—remains identifiable even in dim conditions. This article covers the specific safety features to prioritize, how color and design affect usability for people with cognitive decline, recommended products at various price points, and placement strategies that reduce fall risk. Whether you’re adapting a current bedroom or setting up a new care space, these guidelines will help you make an informed choice.
Table of Contents
- What Makes a Bedside Table Safe for Dementia Patients?
- How Color Contrast Affects Visibility for Aging Eyes
- Why Traditional Design Matters More Than Modern Aesthetics
- Adjustable Height Options: When Mobility Is a Factor
- Common Placement Mistakes That Increase Fall Risk
- Securing Valuables and Managing Medication Access
- Looking Ahead: Adapting the Bedroom as Needs Change
- Conclusion
What Makes a Bedside Table Safe for Dementia Patients?
Safety in dementia furniture goes beyond simply avoiding sharp corners, though that remains a critical starting point. Round or oval-shaped tables minimize injury risk when someone loses balance or reaches out suddenly during a moment of confusion. The Oxford Dementia Bedside Table exemplifies this approach with its specifically manufactured design for dementia sufferers. Standard rectangular tables with squared edges pose a genuine hazard—a disoriented person stumbling in the dark can suffer significant bruising or cuts from corner impacts. Sturdy construction that prevents tipping is equally important. people with Alzheimer’s often grab furniture for support when standing or walking, and a lightweight table that slides or tips creates a fall risk.
Steel-frame options like the Carex Hospital Bed Table offer stability, while purpose-built dementia furniture from manufacturers like Alpha Furniture is engineered to remain secure under pressure. The tradeoff: heavier, sturdier tables are more difficult to reposition for cleaning or room rearrangement. Locking compartments address a different safety concern entirely. Many Alzheimer’s patients take multiple medications, and confusion about whether doses have been taken—or the impulse to take additional doses—creates real danger. A bedside table with a locking cupboard allows caregivers to keep necessary items nearby while preventing unsupervised access. However, if the person in your care becomes agitated when they cannot access their belongings, a visible lock may cause more distress than it prevents. In such cases, medication should be stored elsewhere entirely.
How Color Contrast Affects Visibility for Aging Eyes
The visual system changes significantly with age, and dementia compounds these changes. Research into dementia-friendly environments consistently emphasizes that furniture should contrast strongly against walls and flooring. A white or cream bedside table against a white wall effectively disappears for someone with Alzheimer’s—not because they cannot see it, but because their brain struggles to process the boundaries between similarly colored objects. Warm colors—reds, oranges, and yellows—remain most visible for aging eyes. These hues maintain their vibrancy and distinctiveness even in reduced lighting conditions. Conversely, blues and purples tend to appear grey or washed out to older adults, making them poor choices for furniture that needs to be easily located.
If the bedroom walls are painted in neutral tones, a bedside table in a warm wood finish or with colored drawer fronts provides the necessary contrast. Contrasting drawer fronts serve a dual purpose beyond general visibility. They act as visual reminders of where personal items are stored. A person with Alzheimer’s may forget that their glasses are in the drawer, but a brightly colored drawer front can prompt memory and reduce the anxiety of searching. One limitation: strong patterns on furniture, even in contrasting colors, can be confusing for people with dementia. A solid-colored drawer front works better than one with decorative designs or textures.
Why Traditional Design Matters More Than Modern Aesthetics
Dementia affects the brain’s ability to process unfamiliar information, which extends to recognizing everyday objects. Minimalist or ultra-modern furniture—regardless of how stylish or functional it may be—can cause confusion for someone with Alzheimer’s. A bedside table should look like a bedside table, with recognizable features like drawers, a flat surface, and traditional proportions. This isn’t about aesthetic preference; it’s about cognitive accessibility. Consider the difference between a sleek, handleless cube-style nightstand and a traditional table with visible drawer pulls. For someone without cognitive impairment, both clearly serve the same function.
For a person with dementia, the modern version may not register as a piece of furniture at all, or they may not understand how to open a push-to-open drawer. Traditional pull handles provide intuitive cues that require no learning or memory. The Drive Medical 13067 Overbed Table, while designed for hospital settings, illustrates an important point about balancing functionality with familiarity. Its wide surface area accommodates meals, reading materials, or laptops—practical for someone spending significant time in bed. However, the clinical appearance may feel institutional rather than homelike. If maintaining a residential atmosphere matters for the person in your care, a traditional wooden bedside table paired with a separate overbed table for activities may work better than an all-in-one solution.
Adjustable Height Options: When Mobility Is a Factor
Overbed tables with adjustable heights serve caregivers and patients in situations where standard bedside tables fall short. The Carex Hospital Bed Table adjusts up to 45 inches with a smooth lever mechanism, accommodating both standard beds and hospital-style adjustable beds. The Elevon Overbed Table adds wheels for easy repositioning—useful when the table needs to swing out of the way for transfers or when different activities require different placements. The practical tradeoff between wheeled and stationary options comes down to stability versus flexibility. Wheels make a table easier to move but also mean it can roll away when someone leans on it for support. Most wheeled overbed tables include locking casters, but locks must be engaged consistently to provide safety.
In households where multiple caregivers or family members assist with care, the discipline of always locking wheels may not be maintained reliably. A stationary table eliminates this variable. Assembly complexity varies significantly across products. The Carex Hospital Bed Table requires only six screws and two bolts—manageable for most people without specialized tools or skills. More elaborate tables may require extensive assembly, and poorly assembled furniture poses its own safety risks. Before purchasing, check reviews specifically mentioning assembly difficulty, particularly if you’ll be setting up the table without assistance.
Common Placement Mistakes That Increase Fall Risk
Even the safest bedside table becomes hazardous if positioned poorly. The most frequent error is placing furniture where it creates a tripping obstacle between the bed and the bathroom. People with Alzheimer’s often need to use the bathroom at night, and navigating around furniture in a half-awake, disoriented state leads to falls. The path from bed to bathroom should be completely clear, with the bedside table positioned on the opposite side. Night lighting addresses visibility but introduces its own considerations.
Motion-sensor lamps near bedside tables provide illumination when someone moves, reducing the chance they’ll collide with furniture in darkness. However, a sudden light can be startling and disorienting for someone already confused. Gentle, warm-toned night lights that remain on continuously may work better for some individuals—though this varies based on sleeping patterns and sensitivity to light. Providing seating near the bed helps with dressing and can reduce the temptation to use the bedside table for support when standing. A sturdy chair with arms, positioned where it won’t interfere with nighttime movement, gives the person a stable support point. This is particularly important for someone in the middle stages of Alzheimer’s who still dresses independently but has unreliable balance.
Securing Valuables and Managing Medication Access
The locking cupboard feature on the Oxford Dementia Bedside Table addresses a specific caregiving challenge: keeping necessary items within reach while preventing unsafe access. Medications, important documents, or small valuables can be stored at the bedside without risk of the person taking extra doses, misplacing items, or becoming upset about things being “hidden” elsewhere in the house. Not all situations call for locked storage.
For someone in early-stage dementia who still manages their own medication with supervision, a locked drawer may feel patronizing and undermine their sense of autonomy. The decision depends on the individual’s current capabilities and whether unsupervised access poses genuine risk. Caregivers should reassess periodically as the disease progresses—what was safe six months ago may not be safe today.
Looking Ahead: Adapting the Bedroom as Needs Change
Dementia is progressive, and furniture that works well now may need replacement or supplementation later. A standard bedside table appropriate for early-stage Alzheimer’s might need to be swapped for a more specialized option as mobility decreases or confusion increases. Building flexibility into your initial choices—opting for durable, quality pieces rather than the cheapest option—reduces the frequency and expense of future changes.
Hospital-style overbed tables become increasingly relevant as more time is spent in bed, whether for rest, meals, or activities. Planning for this transition doesn’t mean introducing clinical furniture prematurely, but it does mean measuring the bedroom space and ensuring there’s room to add an overbed table later without creating crowding or new obstacles. The goal throughout is maintaining both safety and dignity as circumstances evolve.
Conclusion
Selecting a bedside table for someone with Alzheimer’s requires thinking beyond ordinary furniture criteria. Safety features like rounded edges, sturdy construction, and locking compartments address the specific risks that dementia introduces. Color contrast and traditional design support visual recognition and reduce confusion. Adjustable and wheeled options provide flexibility for changing care needs, though they require attention to stability.
Start by assessing the current bedroom setup and the individual’s specific stage of disease. A purpose-built option like the Oxford Dementia Bedside Table offers peace of mind for those who want features specifically designed for dementia care. Standard overbed tables like the Carex or Elevon models work well when chosen thoughtfully and positioned carefully. Whatever you select, revisit the choice periodically—what serves someone well in the early stages may need adjustment as their condition changes.
