Chairs and Seating for Care Homes

One of the most challenging aspects of caring for the elderly is helping people to be comfortable all day long. If you've ever sat through a long film in an uncomfortable chair you'll know how it feels when you try to get up, only to find that your muscles feel contracted and stiff, and it's hard to get up.

Luckily, you can get up and have a good stretch to get your body aligned properly again. But what if you don't have the strength to get up and stretch? Well, fortunately chairs have been designed to allow prolonged use with minimal discomfort, and these are the very type of chairs most often used in care homes.

So let's run through some of the options from CareCo. We have everything from budget chairs through to luxury reclining leather armchairs, so whether you are running a care home, a nursing home, or providing live-in care in your client's home, here are some great chairs that will enhance the quality of life for your customers.

The Classic High Back Fireside Chair

The Wilmslow Fireside Chair is the classic budget care home armchair.

With its high back, padded armrests and clean, wooden structure, it is sturdy enough for most residents; the recommended weight limit is 115kg (18 stone). It is relatively light (just over 10kg) so easy to move,  and the PU leather upholstery means it is easy to clean and maintain.

The back rest is designed to give pressure relief and fully support the whole back. The low arm rests make it easy to read or eat from a tray, and they are strong enough to help the user to push themselves up.

Height Adjustable Chairs

Often one of the biggest challenges when we get older is either sitting down in a chair, or standing up from one, and a chair that is either too low or too high makes this all the more difficult.

This is where height adjustable chairs are needed - the chair legs can be adjusted to match the height of the user, either lifting the seat up or lowering it.

The Eden High Back Chair is another popular choice. It comes in a luxurious blue leather effect with padded armrests and wings. This is a metal framed chair upholstered in vinyl for easier cleaning.

Riser Recliner Chairs

The ultimate in comfort are riser recliner chairs.

These come in a huge range of styles and sizes, along with many different features.

While most are generally too expensive for the average care home, some are certainly within the budget of more prestigious homes.

These chairs are especially useful if you allow residents to sometimes sleep in their chairs.

Some people find a chair more comfortable and will often drift off while reclined - some of these chairs can be reclined further to a bed like position so the user can sleep all night if need be.

Chairs for the Bedroom

A good care home should also provide comfortable seating in the bedroom.

This can be for the customer to use when they do not wish to socialise in the communal living areas, or for visitors so that they feel welcome and comfortable enough to stay for a few hours.

Riser recliners are a good option as it will mean somebody can more easily take themselves to bed.

The Henley Wingback Riser Recliner Chair is a good option, and is similar to the one pictured.

Also in the bedroom, consider providing a good quality commode, such as the Strava Commode, which looks like a normal chair and won't cause any embarrassment.

These are vital in rooms with no en suite facilities. It is a good idea to provide a range of different chair types in a living area. Some people will still like to sit in lower armchairs, others in high back chairs, and some in wing chairs.

Position chairs of equal height together so that residents are all on the same level - this makes it more sociable.

Also leave plenty for room for wheelchair and powerchair users to join groups.

Remember, comfortable clients are happy clients, so take a little time to resource the best chairs you can afford for your nursing home. For more advice on furnishing your care home read Care Home Supplies and Furniture.