What Are the Tips in Selecting Care Home Lounge Chairs?

It is estimated that the typical lifespan of lounge chairs in nursing homes ranges from five to ten years, with the exact number varying according to the amount of use they receive and how they are maintained. As a result, even though this isn't an expense that occurs frequently, it is essential to consider several essential factors whenever you are in the market for new high-back chairs. Doing so will guarantee that the chairs are appropriate for your clients and will give you good value for your money.

A typical day for an elderly person will consist of at least nine hours spent sitting down. Keeping this in mind, several benefits will result from providing the appropriate setting, including an increase in comfort and continence and a decrease in agitation, pain, weariness, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Your residents will enjoy carefully selected lounge chairs' reassuring and familiar feeling. Before you go out and buy new care home lounge chairs, you should read this blog post, where we outline the four most important factors to consider.

4 Factors to Consider when Purchasing Care Home Lounge Chairs

1. Arm height

Arms on lounge chairs are frequently used to help people stand up and sit down, so they must be comfortable. Stability is another benefit of having arms, and people who suffer from restlessness or agitation may find relief by using armrests to keep their hands engaged. Different types of nursing chairs will have different arm heights, but as a rule of thumb, you should search for chairs with arms that are 625–700 mm (about 25.6–27.6 inches) from the floor.

2. Appropriate care home lounge chairs seat height & depth

When the seat is too high or too low, the user is forced to lean forward, which puts unnecessary strain on the lower back and feet from bearing the body's weight in one spot. If you want to make it easier for someone to get up from a chair, raise the seat height, but don't forget to make sure it's still comfortable for them to sit in while they're really using it. If possible, offer chairs with a range of seat heights from 410 to 530 mm to accommodate residents with a wide range of mobility needs. It's also important to consider the seat depth, which should be between 430 and 510 millimetres.

3. Care home lounge chairs back height and angle

Seating with a sloping or reclining back may be more difficult for elderly individuals to get up from on their own, but it greatly improves comfort when sitting. Always have sloping and straight-back chairs available to accommodate guests' preferences. In general, a chair with a low or medium back is better suited for activity spaces like waiting rooms and reception areas, whereas a chair with a higher back is better suited for more casual settings like living rooms. Make sure there is enough low and high-back seating in a multi-purpose room for people who want to participate in activities and others who want to hang around.

4. Care home lounge chairs style

The type of chairs you select will rely on your home's decor, color scheme, and available space. A Queen Anne leg is a good choice for a more classic environment, while a tapered leg and a sleeker chair silhouette are better suited to a more contemporary interior. Chairs with and without wings, high backs, medium backs, and two-seaters should all be available to maximize resident-caregiver communication and engagement. Although wingback chairs offer extra comfort, it's important to remember that they also block residents' views and make it harder for them to initiate conversations with their neighbors.

Conclusion

A few easy rules to follow when shopping for new care home lounge chairs for a care facility can help you get the most bang for your buck while also satisfying the needs of your residents. While keeping the ideal "style" for your common areas is crucial, it is also necessary to provide chairs with adjustable seat and back heights.