Whether you’re looking to get new furniture for an assisted living facility or you’re wanting to help your elderly loved one refurnish their home, buying new furniture for seniors takes a lot more consideration than buying furniture for yourself. With the ever-changing needs of seniors as they get older and older, you’ll want to make sure that you’re spending money on furniture that is going to work well with their health and lifestyle.
To help you in making this decision, here are three tips for buying furniture for the elderly.
Be Smart About Fabric Choice
If you’re going to be getting new furniture that has fabric on it, like a sofa, chair, or other kind of seat, you’ll want to be smart about the fabric that you choose.
Since the elderly generally don’t get around as well as they once did, doing deep cleaning on upholstery is going to be more of a challenge for them. Knowing this, you’ll want to choose fabrics for furniture that are easy to clean. Microfiber is usually a great choice.
Additionally, you’ll want to avoid furniture that includes fabric that can get slippery. Things like vinyl, while easy to clean, can also be a little too slippery for elderly people that might need a little extra grip while they are moving from a seated position to a standing position. So before you settle on a piece of furniture, make sure it’s upholstered with fabric that will suit the needs of your elderly loved one.
Consider Height, Length, And Size
For the furniture that you’re getting for your elderly loved one, you’ll also want to consider things like height, length, and size.
Depending on the height of your loved one and the quality of their joints, you’ll want to find furniture that won’t require them to bend too deeply to sit down or stand up. Also, if a chair or couch sits too deep, it can be very difficult for them to stand up after they’ve sat down. Because of this, you might want to choose seating that has a shallower seat. You’ll also want to pick furniture that fits with the size of your loved one, as sitting on furniture that’s too big or too small for them can make their mobility challenged.
Think About Support
One of the most important factors to consider when buying furniture for your elderly loved one is how much support they’ll have when using that furniture.
While you might like a soft cushion to sit on or a fluffy bed to sleep on, this type of furniture can be very hard for seniors to use. So although you don’t want them to use furniture with no comfort, support should really be the top priority.
If you’re going to be furnishing a space for a senior citizen, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you pick the right pieces to include.
