Spinal Cord Injury Journal

10 Adaptive Technology Solutions for Bed Rest

Written by Spinal Cord Team | January 17, 2025

Staying healthy with a spinal cord injury can be a complicated process, especially when it comes to your skin. If you've experienced any kind of pressure sore, you know one of the best ways to heal is with bed rest.

Unfortunately, bed rest can be one of the most difficult activities to endure. Over the years however devices have been invented that can make bed rest easier. Here are 10 adaptive technology solutions to make your time on bed rest as easy as possible.

10. Headboard Phone Holder

Clamp-on phone holders that can attach to your bed headboard have become hugely popular among people with disabilities. Easy to install and attach to your phone, a clamp-on phone holder gives you the ability to use your phone hands-free while in bed. For those with higher-level cervical injuries, a clamp-on phone holder makes it easy to use your phone with your voice via switch control. One of the most popular clamp-on headboard phone holders is the Lamicall Gooseneck Phone Holder. It features a flexible gooseneck long arm stand and can fit phones between 4-7" wide.

9. DIY Extra-Long Stylus

Not everybody enjoys using voice control to control their devices from bed. Some people find it tedious to use for extended lengths of time. As an alternative, for those who cannot move their arms, having an extra long stylus on bed rest is a must. To create your own extra-long stylus, you'll need a chopstick along with two standard-length styluses which are connected by taking off their caps and then taped together end-to-end along with the chopstick to give it extra width (which is needed to withstand the frequent biting).

8. Extra-Long Phone Charging Cable

To make life for you and your caregivers as easy as possible on bed rest, having extra-long phone charging cables is a must. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to get someone with a disability situated in bed when the phone cord is not long enough, especially when the device when charging is not able to reach them in a safe way. It's essential to have your phone within reach while charging, which an extra-long phone charging cable makes possible.

7. Amazon Echo Dot

A small yet mighty tool, the Amazon Echo Dot is a handy AI-powered assistant to have by your bedside. The Echo Dot can answer any question under the sun, tell you about the news, keep track of your to-do list, play music, and more. The Echo Dot is also able to connect to various appliances in the room and home, allowing you to control them with your voice from your bed. Popular smart home uses of the Echo Dot include controlling the TV, speakers, and lights around the house.

6. Remote-Controlled Outlet

If you would rather not use an AI tool to control devices in your home, consider remote-controlled outlets instead of the Echo Dot. Remote-controlled outlets allow you to choose what you would like to control with a remote control and then simply plug a device into the outlet for instant remote control-ability. This product is an easy independence upgrade when on bed rest or when anything is out of reach that you want to control. You can buy a single remote-control outlet for $10 - $20.

5. Nest Smart Thermostat

There is nothing more frustrating than feeling too hot or too cold, and this is a common side effect of having a spinal cord injury – the inability to regulate your bodily temperature. Being able to control your thermostat from bed is a must and various e-thermostats offer this ability. One of the best and longstanding is the Nest, which can replace most standard thermostats, is easy to install, and gives you the ability to control your thermostat with your phone from bed.

4. Remote-Control Fan

Another important item to help regulate your body temperature with a spinal cord injury when on bed rest is a remote-controlled fan. This relatively inexpensive device can make all the difference when trying to sleep and feel comfortable in your bed throughout the day, and many fans come with remote controls.

To use a remote-controlled fan hands-free, it can also be operated via the Echo Dot, switch control, or by using a remote-controlled outlet.

3. Voice-Controlled Outlet

For those who are unable to use a remote control, a voice control outlet is a great solution for controlling devices without leaving your bed. For example, to use a voice control outlet simply say, "Turn on the power," and whatever is connected to the outlet will turn on or be activated such as a lamp, coffee maker, or any other appliance you would like to control from bed with your voice. And simply say, "Turn off the power," to shut down whatever is connected to the outlet.

You can buy a single voice control outlet for around $15. Here is a voice control outlet we recommend: TESSAN Voice Control Outlet

2. Kindle (with Remote Page Turner)

A great way to pass time during bed rest is reading, and one of the best devices you can use to read from bed is a Kindle. Similar in shape to a tablet but its predecessor, it can store hundreds of books, and the virtual pages can be turned easily with your voice or with a stylus. If you're unable to hold the Kindle itself, there are hundreds of different holders that can be used from bed, but we suggest the following Kindle holder because it has a remote control page-turner, which makes the Kindle much easier to use. Here's a Kindle Remote Page Turner we recommend you check out.

1. Gooseneck Tablet Stand

For tablet lovers, having a highly flexible tablet stand you can use from bed is essential. For the most flexibility, we suggest a gooseneck tablet stand since it can be adjusted to nearly any angle. Here is a popular tablet stand that can be clamped on your headboard or side table: KDD Gooseneck Tablet Stand