Blackledge Furniture    Guaranteed Lowest Prices Since 1901   

Click to see our Advertised Specials

233 SW Second St.  Corvallis Oregon 97333   Call  541-753-4851   Open Mon. - Sat 9:30 to 5:30 - Closed Sunday

Home  Shop by ITEM  Shop by BRAND  Buying Guides  Design Tools  Sleep Better  About Us  Contact Us 

Senior Living -  Helping you enjoy a better and more comfortable life.

Important Considerations when Selecting Furnishings for Senior Individuals

Although selecting furniture for any use requires a systematic evaluation of the product and how it will be used, there are some special factors that should be considered in selecting furnishings for use by a senior living person.   It is important to consider the mobility level, body size, age and strength of the individual, particularly when selecting motion furniture and other items that require physical strength to operate.

When selecting a reclining chair or sofa, which can provide extra comfort for sitting or sleeping, be sure the individual will have the proper arm or leg strength to operate the mechanism.   Some recliner mechanisms, require good arm strength to pull back the handle and raise the footrest.   Other brands of recliners are spring loaded and require good lower leg strength to push the footrest closed.   The size and fit of the recliner for the individual is also important not only for comfort, but also to enable them to properly use the chair.   At Blackledge Furniture, we also have a large selection of power operation and power-lift recliners which make it easy for users of any age or strength to enjoy the extra comfort of a recliner.   Ask us for specific advice on your situation.

When selecting upholstery items, also look for slim arm styles that take up less room, and higher or firmer seat cushions that make it easier to sit down and stand up.   We can modify some styles to have longer legs or firmer seat foam if needed.   Also make sure the arm height and cushioning are comfortable for long periods of sitting and that the arms do not block access to side tables and other things the individual will want to reach while sitting.   You may want to get a couple of additional small bolster pillows so you can change your sitting position and back support to reduce stiffness, and improve comfort, when sitting for long periods.

When selecting a bed, particularly for a smaller room, consider using a headboard only attached to a metal bed frame, instead of a headboard with a footboard which may get in the way, and make it hard to make up the bed with today’s extra thick, and heavy mattresses.   Also make sure you choose a combination of bed frame height, foundation height and mattress thickness that adds up to an easy height for the person to be able to sit on the edge of bed and get up and down (usually about 22” total height).

For easy maintenance, consider the need for fabric stain protection on upholstered furniture or wood protection on wood items that may be exposed to food, drinks, or bodily fluids.   If purchasing a stain protection warranty, be sure to keep it in a safe place where you can find it, or give a copy to a relative who keeps other records.   Blackledge Furniture also offers non-warranty fabric protection treatment at a lower cost, if the warranty is not important to you. 

Special considerations for small apartment or retirement facility living –

Always get a room plan with dimensions, or basic measurements of the room before selecting your furnishings.     Item size and arrangement are critical in smaller rooms.   Take a few digital pictures of the rooms, and bring them to us, along with the room measurements, and we can help you select just the right things to get maximum livability from the smaller area.

Look for small scale,  multi functional pieces, such as 3 drawer dressers or large nightstands with drawer storage that can be used both as a functional top surface beside a bed or on a short wall segment, and for storage.   People always need more storage for things in small space living, particularly if sizing down from a larger residence.

Consider the arrangement of the room and how it will be used.   Make sure small tables are near frequently used chairs to hold drinks, reading materials, or the TV remote.

Use our online room planner at WWW.BlackledgeFurniture.com, or graph paper to sketch out the room arrangement so you can see how everything will fit together for ease of use. 

Basic issues to always clarify before purchasing furnishings –

 How soon will you need the item and can it be delivered when you need it?

 What is the store’s return policy?   Selecting the correct size piece is more critical and also more difficult for small living spaces.   Make sure you will be able to return it for a small restocking charge if it is not right.   At Blackledge Furniture you can always return any in stock item, for any reason, within 2 days of delivery for just our regular low transportation charge.   Even special orders are returnable for only a 20%restocking charge.

 Does the store provide it’s own store warranty to protect you if the manufacturer goes out of business and to provide local service if you need it?   All your purchases from Blackledge Furniture, except electronics, are protected by our 30 day Additional Store Warranty.   Our service department is the finest in the area and often does service repairs for manufacturers and customers who haven’t gotten good service on items they have purchased at other stores.

 You can browse through our product catalogs and full library of decorating ideas and product selection information by clicking the links above.