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For seniors, having a home with furniture that is going to make living and getting around easier is extremely important. Maybe your loved one is moving into a senior living campus and needs to make some adjustments to fit their own needs, or they’re moving in with you and you want to ensure the furniture in your home is suited to their needs. Either way, here are the most essential items that can make living more comfortable for your older loved one.
Seating
Any place where your senior loved one is going to sit down and relax should be comfortable and easy to get in and out of. For this reason, the seating you choose for their home should fit their specific size needs. If your loved one is a shorter person, you don’t need to go searching for chairs and couches that sit way above the ground. In the same way, if your loved one is taller you need to find seating that they will be able to sit down in and get up without feeling like they’re standing up after sitting on the ground.
Recliners are a great option for seniors and they can even come in handy when your loved one has difficulty sleeping in a bed. A recliner allows for better breathing and gives the option of having your legs elevated for better circulation. If your loved one has trouble getting out of a seated position, lift chairs can be very helpful. You also want to choose materials that can be easily cleaned. However, upholstery made of some materials like vinyl may be too slippery and create more of a challenge.
Beds
Just like with seating, a bed needs to be easy to get in and out of. You want to find a frame that is the right height so that your loved one isn’t struggling to get up in the morning. Additionally, for the same reason that a recliner is helpful, beds that can adjust to a sitting position are ideal for seniors. This gives them the option of sitting slightly elevated to sleep and makes getting out of bed easier because they can raise themselves to a sitting position instead of having to sit up on their own.
When it comes to the headboard, you might want to look for one that is upholstered or padded to make the bed more comfortable. No one wants to bang their head on a hard headboard, and if they want to set up some pillows to help them sit up in bed the extra padding from the headboard can make it easier.
Tables
Tables with sharp corners can become dangerous for someone who has balance issues. Having a round table with smoother edges in the home can help seniors avoid banging into a sharp edge. Seniors are much more susceptible to bad bruising and cutting themselves, so having a table with rounded edges eliminates the possibility of injury. For the same reason, it is best to avoid glass top tables to ensure that nothing, and no one, can fall onto the glass and seriously injure themselves.
Just like with other furniture, height is very important when choosing a table for your loved one. You need something that is tall enough so that it is easy to sit and enjoy a meal, read the newspaper, or have a morning coffee comfortably. This also means that whatever table you choose, needs to have chairs that are the right height as well. It can be helpful to choose the chairs first, making sure they are easy to get in and out of. Once you have chairs you can look for a table that is a comfortable height.
Author bio
Jenn Walker is a freelance writer, blogger, dog-enthusiast, and avid beach goer operating out of Southern New Jersey.