StrokeSurvivorBlog

The right adaptive furniture can make living at home a little easier, and helps reduce the frustration for those who can’t use both hands to do things. For example, something as simple as reading the newspaper was very frustrating for Steve, because he couldn’t properly balance it on his lap or turn the pages without everything falling on the floor.

A regular TV tray didn’t work because the legs were in the way of his feet, and it was too far away from his lap while sitting on the couch. The leg from an over-the-bed table wouldn’t fit under the couch to get it close enough to him. I tried placing a pillow on his lap, but that didn’t work very well either.  Then I found a portable table that has legs that slide right under the couch so he can pull it close to him. It has no cross braces to bump his legs on. The table tray has a rim to keep things from sliding off, and it works perfectly for reading a newspaper or book, working a puzzle, or writing a letter.

This portable table-mate has a 5-level height adjustment from 26-30 inches; and a 3-level tray tilting function. The legs fold and lock for easy storage. The table mate top dimensions are 19.5 inches x 15 inches. The best part is that this portable table was on sale for $19.99 at Walgreens.

The one down side is that there’s only an 18.25 inches distance between the legs, and they’re not quite wide enough apart to comfortably allow both of Steve’s legs to go between them. But one table leg can be put in between the two of his and it’s still works well. There’s a wider portable table available which can be found online, but it’s more expensive.

The table-mate TV tray means less frustration for Steve in doing something that most of us take for granted. It’s ideal for anyone with mobility problems or someone recovering from an injury, illness or operation.