How to Arrange Chairs with Arms for Seniors in Senior Living Communities?

The selection and arrangement of chairs in a senior living community require a delicate balance of comfort, safety, and functionality. Social interactions are vital to senior living, and armchairs for seniors are critical in making them convenient. The seemingly simple piece of furniture has many aspects when it comes to serving seniors, especially its arrangement.

This article will provide possible armchair arrangements for different activities within a senior living community. It will cover how many chairs we need in a facility and what factors to consider when selecting an armchair. The purpose is to provide a guideline that helps interior designers and management of the senior living community find the right chair for their facility. First, let's dive into possible armchair arrangements.

Possible Armchair Arrangements for Senior Living Communities

A senior living community can consist of multiple rooms to facilitate various activities. Each type of room can have different chair arrangements. Armchairs are applicable in all rooms as they are versatile, stackable, and easy to move. To ensure proper armchair utilization, senior living communities can arrange them in the following manners:

♦ Circular or Square Arrangement

Round tables are a standard piece of furniture in senior living communities. They allow members to interact directly with each other. Compared to a square arrangement with a center table, there is a hazard of nicking from the edge of a square table. Furniture designers can round off the edges to smoothen them for protection. However, seniors generally prefer a circular arrangement of chairs in most rooms.

Tucking in chairs is much easier in circular arrangements. The living communities can also have more chairs per table to create a vibrant environment. These arrangements are ideal for rooms with many activities and social interaction, such as game rooms or community rooms. The arrangement provides a sense of closeness with ease of reaching game objects or interactive material on the table.

Ideal Room for Circular/Square Arrangement: Game or Activity Room

♦ U-Shape Placement

Forming a U-shape while placing the chairs is another great way to enhance socialization. U-shape placement provides the best visibility if the activity involves a focus point. For example, U-shape placement works best if someone is conducting a presentation or an entertainer performs an act.

U-shaped arrangements require little space, so they are the usual choice for conference rooms. In the senior living community, adjacent chairs can have 3-4 feet of space between them to move in and out of the chair. The chairs are in a U-shape arrangement and are easy to tuck in, making them great for dining and therapy rooms. The staff can quickly move between the tables to serve meals.

Ideal Room for U-Shape Arrangement: Dinner Room or Presentation/Meeting Room

♦ L-Shape Arrangement

The welcoming nature of the L-shape seating arrangement makes any space look more open. The natural shape of the L-shape arrangements allows interference-free passage to the arm seats, which can be convenient for many seniors with limited mobility issues. It will also enable easy movement of wheelchairs and walkers.

These arrangements are excellent for rooms with TVs or projectors that have limited space. In some high-end facilities, theatre rooms can serve the same purpose. However, most facilities will feature a mid-range setup, which makes L-shape arrangements best for viewing. The arrangement also efficiently utilizes space for small rooms. Lounge areas and activity centers can equally benefit from this arrangement.

Ideal Room for L-Shape Arrangement: Lounge Area or Activity Room

♦ Corner Arrangement

Placing chairs with arms in a corner can be a great space-saving technique. It efficiently utilizes the corners for a more interactive user experience. Placing armchairs with a coffee table can provide a heightened experience for senior residents. As chairs in corners can have sufficient space on either side, they are great to move in and out of.

Corners can allow the residents to move into more private settings with reduced noise levels. They provide privacy for two residents to converse and share their experiences. These arrangements are great for shared personal living spaces and standard rooms with corner arrangements. These are also great for cafe areas with two armchairs and a coffee table.

Ideal Room for Corner Arrangement: Cafe Areas or Shared Personal Living Space

♦ Staggered Rows

The staggered row is also an ideal space-saving arrangement. However, in a senior living community, the space between the back of an armchair in the front row should be a decent distance from the frontmost part of the second row. There should be enough space for elders to move using a walking or Zimmer frame.

Smartly managing the arrangement is vital in staggered rows. Armchairs are best for entertainment rooms and presentation rooms. They are easy and light to maneuver, so staff at senior living communities can switch these arrangements according to requirements.

Ideal Room for Staggered Row Arrangement: Theatre Room or Activity Room

How Many Chairs Do I Need?

Finding the correct number of chairs can depend on multiple factors. Addressing them can lead to an optimized living facility with efficient cost management. Here are the three things you need to consider when deciding the number of chairs in a room:

▪ Number of Residents

The designer of the facility's civil structure can provide essential information to jump-start the chair arrangement process. The civil structure usually starts with deciding on the number of residents. You can get those numbers from your civil design structure. However, these numbers can significantly vary depending on the interior design. Look for the basis of the design to find the correct numbers.

Once you have the number of chairs, you can start deciding on the placement of armchairs to accommodate those residents. Having the number of armchairs equal to the number of residents cannot be a financially intelligent decision, so you need the room size and shape.

▪ Room Size and Shape

Room size is a vital factor to consider when selecting several armchairs. Generally, all rooms in a senior living community are square or rectangular. However, there can be circular rooms, such as cafe rooms. Irregular shapes are improbable as they can confuse the senior residents. Here are some approximate numbers based on room size, considering some free space for movement and furniture layout:

• 100-200 Square Feet: 1-2

• 601-700 Square Feet: 6-7

• 901-1000 Square Feet: 9-10+

The shape of the room can also influence the number of chairs. A circular room may not be able to handle as many chairs as a square or rectangular room. Consider the room's shape when deciding on the number of chairs.

Pro Tip: It's best to draw a room layout by scaling down the dimensions. Start drawing boxes that represent the chair size and the area around it required for movement. Start placing these boxes together to represent chair placements. Finalize the maximum number of feasible chair placements for the room's shape and size.

▪ Activity

The activity level also influences the number of chairs in the room. In the case of cafes or dining rooms, the activity level may be lower than in community rooms where residents play games. Monitor the number of residents that are simultaneously present at one time in a room. That can set the basis. Consider visiting an already-developed senior living facility to gather data analytics:

• Individual Living Space:1 Armchair

• Shared Living Space:2 Armchairs with Corner Arrangement

• Community Space:Equal to the Number of Residents

• Cafe or Dining Rooms:50% of The Total Number of Residents at Peak Time
  

▪ Gather Data for Analytics

The numbers mentioned in our previous sections provide only a rough estimate of the number of chairs you need in a senior living community. However, thorough research is equally important to save big bucks. Here are some steps you can take to maximize efficiency in selecting several chairs:

1. Visit existing facilities with a similar number of resident capacity and category

2. Collect feedback from the staff and residents for insight into the people's preferences.

3. Analyze the data to make predictions for your facility.
   

Factors to Consider in Arm Chairs

The variety of chairs with arms, otherwise known as armchairs, is vast. They can vary in footprint size, frame material, and upholstery. After you have the numbers, you need to consider the following factors before making the purchase:

1. Materials

The selection of suitable material is critical in a senior living community. The material needs to be hygienic and easy to clean. The material should not become a house for bacteria, mold, or other unhygienic organisms to take control. Following is the list of materials ideal for armchairs in a senior living facility:

Fabric Options

• Microfiber

• Polyester

• Leather
  
  

Frame Options

• Metal

• Hardwood

• Composite Material

Cushioning Materials

• Foam

• Polyester Fiberfill

2. Height

Research papers support the seat height of 16 and 19 inches (40-48 cm). The height should be decent enough to allow ease in getting in and out of the chair. The armrest height of the armchair should be as high as the elbows are when bent at 90 degrees sitting upright. Elders must not have to force themselves out of the chair. The arms should provide the support needed to stand up.

3. Stackability

Stackability plays a vital role in arranging chairs in senior living communities. It is the ideal feature to enable efficient storage and management of furniture. However, the mechanism of stackability should be sturdy to protect the staff from any mishap. Their design and weight should add stability while sitting firmly on the ground or stacked on top.

Stackability provides flexibility in the number of armchairs needed for a room. They provide the necessary margin in case of a larger volume of residents or many holiday visits.

Conclusion

Armchairs are an excellent choice for seniors with mobility issues and pains. They provide firm support for the back and have excellent stability by design. They maintain posture and allow ease in getting in and out of the chair. Arranging these armchairs for seniors as best as possible requires analyzing the room size, shape, and activity level. Users should also consider the shape of the armchair and its footprint on the room floor to address their arrangements adequately.

The management can set the arrangement in a U-shape, L-shape, Corner, or Square/Circular. The preference should rely on the activity of the room and its purpose. If there is significant fluctuation in the number of users, senior living communities should consider the stackability of armchairs for elders. They provide the most tremendous flexibility in case of demand and supply mismatch. We hope you found various arrangements for armchairs for seniors in our article!