Choosing the right furniture for a senior living facility is difficult. You want to keep people safe and comfortable without feeling too sterile or corporate. How can you make your facility feel like home?
Keep reading to see how to balance safety and style for the best furniture for your senior living facility.
What to Look for in Senior Living Furniture
We’ve already written about what to look for in senior living furniture as far as accessibility is concerned. Here is a brief recap of what to consider.
- Safety & ergonomic design: When furnishing senior care facilities, you must consider the physical abilities and strength of those in your care. As people get older, they may struggle with getting up and down and may need more support. Higher tables and chairs are better than those closer to the ground. Additionally, chairs should be stable, offer armrests for support, and have rounded corners to prevent injuries.
- Durability & performance for high-traffic environments: Senior care facilities house many individuals and need to also accommodate their visitors. Your facility’s furniture must be durable enough to handle multiple people using your furnishings daily. Having furniture made of tough materials such as wood or metal ensures a long-lasting investment. Ensure fabrics and upholstery are commercial-grade and easy to clean.
- Cleaning & maintenance needs: When caring for multiple people, no matter their age, messes will be made. You need to consider the types of materials you use and their colors. Darker colors will make cleaning easier, and they are less likely to leave permanent stains.
- Aesthetic appeal & homelike comfort: When designing living spaces within a senior care facility, it’s crucial to provide a homey environment while maintaining professionalism. A simple way to do this is to mix bright and dark colors. Having only one or the other could create an uncomfortable atmosphere.
- Compliance & safety regulations: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires senior care facilities to have travel paths that are clear of debris so that wheelchair users can easily move around in living spaces. This also includes having enough space for wheelchair users to turn around easily, requiring a minimum of 60 inches (152.4 cm). Tables need to be between 28 and 34 inches (71.1 to 86.3 cm) to ensure sufficient clearance for wheelchair users.
- Customization & branding for facilities: Senior care facilities can take the opportunity to design customized furniture that matches their brand and design. This could be having fabrics that match brand colors, having logos embroidered on dining chairs, or having a cohesive style and aesthetic throughout the property.
Furniture Solutions for Your Space
Browse our catalog of senior living furniture today.
Types of Communal Furniture Every Senior Living Facility Needs
To make your senior care facility feel like home to the seniors in your care, you need a wide range of furniture to inspire socializing, fun, and relaxation.
Dining Chairs
The right dining chairs make every meal something to look forward to, where people can chat with each other and enjoy good food. However, dining chairs should be sturdy enough to use as a balancing tool for when seniors get up and down. Wood and faux wood chairs are perfect for senior living environments. They are sturdy enough to be safe while offering enough design options to be visually appealing.
Recommended: Wood That’s Built to Last: Our 9-Step Finishing Process
Lounge & Common Area Seating
Comfortable seating for recreational areas is a must for senior care facilities. Whether your residents will sit in these areas to socialize with other residents or visit with loved ones, you want your residents to be comfortable. Common area chairs should have high backs for support, sturdy armrests, and firm cushions to assist with ingress and egress (getting into and out of the chair).
Resident Room Furniture
A resident’s room is very important; it’s what makes your facility feel like home to them. You want comfortable beds and chairs that are easy to get in and out of. You’ll also want plenty of storage options for their clothes and knickknacks. Guest chairs can do double duty as cozy lounge chairs when residents are watching the news in the evening.
However, make sure not to cram the rooms with too much furniture. Residents need enough space to move around safely. If your residents’ rooms are cramped, but they need additional seating when guests come to visit, consider storing folding or stacking chairs nearby so that there will be ample seating when needed that won’t crowd residents in their daily lives.
Multi-Purpose & Event Seating
If your facility hosts events or weekly meetings, you need furniture that’s easy to set up while still being safe and easy to store. Storability is important because you don’t want to crowd resident common areas with chairs that aren’t used daily, as these could become a tripping hazard. Stackable chairs, folding chairs, and foldable tables are the best solutions for event setups.
How to Get Affordable Furniture for Senior Living Facilities Without Compromising Quality
Running a senior living facility is no easy task. Budgets tend to be tight. Here’s how you can get high-quality furniture without breaking your budget.
Invest in Contract-Grade Furniture
Contract-grade furniture is designed for both comfort and heavy use. Contract furniture can be used in retail, hotels, and senior care facilities. When you buy contract-grade furniture from a reputable source, you know that you are investing in furniture that will last years.
Additionally, MityLite offers a warranty on all our furniture for extra peace of mind.
Save Money Through Longevity
Senior living furniture is an investment in your residents’ well-being, your property desirability, and the future value of your business. Make the most of your investment by focusing on durability and style. The longer your furniture lasts, the more it pays for itself.
Choose furniture materials that are low-maintenance and durable, such as:
- Wood
- Faux wood (powder coated metal)
- Microfiber
- Vinyl
- Polyester
- Commercial-grade fabrics
One thing that plays into furniture’s longevity is how easy it is to clean. If furniture is hard to clean or made of materials that absorb spills or scratches easily, it will quickly lose its attractiveness and value.
Sturdy and stain-free furniture presents a professional image to visitors and their loved ones. Explore our various articles about cleaning furniture.
Focus On Sustainability
There is a way to be both sustainable and cost-effective when you order MityLite products. We are GREENGUARD® certified and use renewable and locally produced materials. We also design and manufacture our products in ways that reduce or even eliminate scrap that would otherwise just get thrown away.
Why Senior Living Facilities Choose MityLite
Furniture is an essential investment for your senior care residence. This is why so many facility directors at senior living, assisted living, and nursing home facilities choose MityLite. We have decades of experience providing high-quality furniture to various businesses, including senior care.
Our order process is easy. Pick the furniture you want and get a quote. We can help you narrow down the fabric options based on what you need (antimicrobial, water-resistant, color, pattern, or anything else). We’ll send you some samples based on what you need, and then we’ll get to work creating your furniture. With MityLite, you can find the best furniture for your senior living facility so that your residents can sit, dine, and relax in comfort, day after day.
Chat with a dedicated sales rep today!
