Previously we looked at some of the care home essentials that you need to choose in order to ensure that you have the right infrastructure in place to be able to run a care home effectively, and provide the right levels of care and dignity for those residents you look after.
Of course there are a whole host of Care Home Essentials, because as well as providing care for those in the home, you also need to ensure they are settled and comfortable.
Furniture for Care
The UK has an ageing population, and as such there is a greater need for care homes and care staff to provide the right level of assistance to people who need a little extra help. As well as the need for expert levels of care for these patients and clients, it is also important to provide an environment that is comfortable and homely, so that they have a sense of normality and can convalesce in dignity.
Types Of Furniture For Care
Different Care Homes have different needs when it comes to furniture, as their clients have different physical and medical requirements. Dementia patients may need to have furniture that is has rounded edges and no sharp corners in order to prevent causing any undue harm to themselves. Those with extreme behavioural problems and some neurological conditions, may require toughened furniture, in order to stop them damaging this or themselves. Of course there is still classic care home furniture, which can have a range of other uses such as hotels, boarding schools and hospitals.
What Is Furniture For Care
Because there are a number of different needs for care homes, then different combinations are available, below are a few of the items that are basic necessities of care home furniture:
- Seating – the type of seating you may need for a care home depends on the clients that your care home. Some patients may require chairs that recline and also move forwards, in order to assist them in getting in and out easily. Others may require seating for posture needs, in order to help them maintain their dignity whilst sitting.
- Beds – these can vary, from profiling beds, which allow the patient to be moved in order to provide care and bathing, should they have a serious condition. Pressure relief mattresses are also a good idea for those with limited mobility, or who are bed bound. Those with dementia, can often suffer from incontinence related to this, and
- Tables – having tables in communal areas helps to create a sense of community and brings people together at meal times, as well as allowing for a more dignified experience. These can be in the classic style, toughened to avoid damage or a safe rounded style to keep your clients safe from injury.
- Bedroom Accessories – to make your patients feel more at ease and at home then it is a good idea to try and create a sense of normality, care home furniture such as wardrobes, chests of draws and bedside tables. These allow your clients to have their own sense of normality in their rooms and as such helps them feel more settled and comfortable in their surroundings.
- Dementia Specific Products – some products are tailored with those with dementia taken into consideration. Special toilet seats, in order to try and maintain a sense of independence and dignity. Memory boxes are a great way for your staff to engage with the patients suffering from dementia, as they allow them to interact using important stimuli.
So What Care Home Furniture Do I Need?
If you are new to fitting out a care home, or are refurbishing your care home, the main thing to take into consideration, is the type of clientele that you are going to be taking on.
As there are a huge range of needs within the elderly population, then it is worth deciding whether you are going to specialise on a particular sector or take on a general range of clients. If you’re going to focus on those with dementia and related issues, then dementia care home furniture is a sound investment, in order to keep our clients safe. If you’re just going to be a residential home, then classic care home furniture will give off the sense of being at home.