Everything You Need to Know About Home Safety of Elders

Importance of Senior-Friendly Furniture

Our parents and elders have nurtured us throughout their lives and it is our duty to take care of them in our autumn years. Our foremost duty is to make them feel comfortable at home and the best way to do this by adopting an ergonomic and elderly-friendly home design.

The best way to implement a comfortable design for the ageing is to choose the right furniture for senior citizens. Let us look at some ways to select the right senior-friendly furniture.

Adopting an elderly-friendly home design

Creating a senior-friendly environment for the aged begins with

• Creating a comfortable and spacious environment for the easy mobility of elders
• De-cluttering the floor area to make it trip-free for the seniors
• Providing arm-rests and railings for support at all possible levels
• Avoiding too many steps and levels
• Selecting the right senior-friendly furniture.

Of this, selecting the right senior-friendly furniture plays a major role in preventing injuries for elders.

Factors to keep in mind while selecting the right senior-friendly furniture

Choose senior-friendly furniture such that it is not

• • Too high for the elder to climb
• • Too low for the senior to bend and strain their backs
• • Having sharp edges that might injure the elders.
• • Having hard surfaces that might poke the elders
• • Having any nails or pins jutting out from their upholstery
• • Having slippery upholstery that might cause the elders to slide or fall off.

Keep in mind the above general pointers while selecting furniture for senior citizens.

Pointers for selecting furniture for senior citizens

Furniture seating

• Choose the furniture according to the size of the person
• Let the furniture be easy to get in and out of.
• Taller people need deeper seats while shorter ones need shallow seats.
• Stout people need wider seats
• For elders with wobbly knees, shallow seats are the best.

Beds for seniors

• Adjustable beds are the best for seniors as they can be accommodated to offer the best position for sleeping.
• For seniors with breathing and circulation problems, adjustable beds are ideal as you can lift the legs or raise the headrest.
• Padded bases and upholstered headboards provide the right comfort for seniors.
• A comfortable mattress is a must.
• Let the woodwork of the bed have rounded edges.

Recliners

• Recliners are the best for the aged as they have the right back-rest and can also be elevated or depressed to suit the senior's comfort.
• Elders love to relax in recliners as its curved contours offer the right surface to peacefully doze off

Tables

• Avoid glass-topped and metal tables
• Choose tables with rounded edges to prevent injuries during accidental bumping
• Tables should be of the right height for seniors to use easily.
• A round dining table is the best for elders

Chairs

• Chairs with adjustable heights or lift chairs are ideal for seniors with moving disability.
• All chairs should have padded base and armrests.
• Check the padding for jutting nails and screws
• let the chairs be sturdy with strong legs to avoid toppling
• Avoid using backless chairs for dining

Storage

• All the storage facilities should be easily accessible for elders
• Avoid under-the-bed storage as it causes the senior to bend
• Shelves or dressers are the best for seniors
• Ensure that the cabinets an dressers have firm handles that are easy to grasp and pull.
• Drawers should slide out easily yet must not topple over.
• Provide see-through doors in the cupboards for elders to fetch items easily without searching

Sofas

For providing the best comfort for elders choose loveseats and divans with soft padding and arm-rests.

Footstools

Pouffes and footstools are the best companions for elders as they can rest their legs and move them easily.

Pamper your elders with the right senior-friendly furniture to offer them plush comfort in their autumn years.