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 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 –