subject: The Many Qualities Of Nursing Home Furniture How To Make A Home Away From Home [print this page] There are at least three primary qualities that must be displayed by nursing home furniture, because, the nursing home itself has multiple functions to perform for both its patients and its staff.
First and foremost, nursing home furnishings have to be sturdy and easy to clean. Older inhabitants may find sitting and standing from a seated position difficult which puts strain on the furniture when they make the transition between the two phases. Also, nursing home furniture is ultimately medical in purpose, so it must be resistant to staining and easy to wipe clean of any liquid or food mess.
Nursing homes are places where staff are required to attend to the various personal and emotional needs of a wide range of characters. So the furniture should be easy for a staff member, in attendance on a patient, to handle in whatever way circumstances dictate as fit. This may mean that the furniture should be on wheels and easy to move or that safety rails and supports may be popped into place quickly and without hassle.
Nursing home furniture also needs to be attractive and comfortable. Because it is furniture that will be used daily by a large volume of people, who have been transplanted probably forever from their own houses, flats and bungalows. In many cases the inhabitants of a nursing home will have come from hospital, their property having been sold in the meantime. So the furniture they see and use is, or should be, designed to make them feel at home again, comfortable and comforted.
With all these qualities, nursing home furniture is also required to display a sturdiness and reliability that match the budgetary needs of the establishment in question. With budgets tightening all over the public sector, this can be of particular importance in underprivileged or heavily populated areas. And of course where private nursing homes are concerned, the furniture must be provably worth the investment so again, furniture that lasts for a long time in proper working order.
There are different types of nursing home furniture according to the different parts of the home. As well as the lounge furniture, provided in common room areas for patients who watch TV or come together for company, there will be bedroom furniture beds, of course, and night stands and tables.
In some cases, a patient at a nursing home will not leave his or her bed for medical or emotional reasons or both. So the bedroom furniture must both be as attractive and comfortable as possible; and also as ergonomically designed from the point of view of the patient and his or her carers. Safety is paramount but so is dignity.
Privacy is also an issue both visually and in terms of belongings. Lockable bedside tables that can be easily operated by older fingers are essential for retaining the safety of patient property and the dignity of private possessions.
