Furniture and Aging: Small Changes That Make a Big Difference

As they age, people need to adapt to certain changes that come with getting older. One of the things that you must prioritize is to ensure your parents (or any other senior that you honestly care about) live in a senior-friendly household.

In these types of situations, there are several things that need to be altered, and one of them is the furniture. The point is to have something that will make our beloved seniors feel not only comfortable but safe too!

Selecting the right pieces of furniture may not always be simple, especially if you do not have limitless funds for these purposes, however, if you stick with the hacks that are about to be compiled, you’ll end up acquiring furniture that will meet every demand and need your aging parent have.

The Furniture Must Be Comfortable And Supportive

There are a number of elements that are considered relevant as far as this goes, and one of them is comfort for sure. It doesn’t matter whether they’ll be living in their own home, nursing home, or anywhere else, seniors deserve to have furniture that’s both supportive and comfortable.

There are various options at their disposal that you can opt for, starting from the ergonomically designed furniture with the proper cushioning, along with the lumbar support because these are the things that contribute to discomfort reduction, and, at the same time, they promote better posture.

The whole point of this is to create a perfect blend of something that’s both comfortable, yet also very stable. To accomplish this, you need to factor in these things:

The furniture that you plan on buying should be sized according to the body size and shape of the person you are purchasing it for. People tend to take things very lightly, and then they end up obtaining something that’s utterly uncomfortable. For example, you cannot acquire a massive recliner for a person who’s very short, otherwise, their feet won’t be able to touch the ground.
You should aim to buy the furniture that comes with a built-in lumbar support that’s capable of supporting the spine. If you to provide additional lumbar support, then you should consider adding a couple of pillows as well!
It wouldn’t hurt to purchase pieces of furniture that have a medium-density foam because it lowers pressure points, while effectively providing the right amount of firmness.

Quality Over Anything Else!

Yes, the reality is that furniture isn’t cheap, it’s actually far from it. But it doesn’t mean that you cannot run into the one that’s relatively affordable, which is frequently the situation with the supportive chairs for the elderly and many other pieces of furniture. Now, if you have a restricted budget for this, then the best thing that you can do is to create a list of items that are commonly employed and the ones that aren’t as important.

Those that the seniors use a lot should offer first-class quality. Keep in mind that these are the things that are supposed to serve them in the long run, hence you should never purchase anything just because it’s cheap, otherwise, you’ll be forced to obtain a new one very quickly.

This is their home, a place they spend most of their time, hence if you choose something that offers poor quality, you’ll practically negatively affect the overall quality of their life, which is something they don’t deserve.

Don’t Forget Storage Solutions

A house that's considered senior-friendly should be equipped with enough storage where they'll be able to store anything they do not use as much, or at all. The whole point is to enable them to live in a house that's free from clutter.

There are certain things that you need to take into account when choosing the right storage solution. It needs to be something that can easily be accessed, and that’s defined as user-friendly for older folks, like dressers, shelves, etc.

Additionally, you should opt for materials that are long-lasting, such as oak or teak, and that are also very functional. In these instances, the appearance isn't as essential, whereas functionality must be prioritized.

Moreover, you should pick storage solutions that can easily be accessed without needing to stretch or bend too much (or at all). Besides that, it would be advisable to have see-through doors, to make things simpler for them to find whatever they need without exerting themselves.

Ease Of Transport

Another thing that should be among the first considerations is precisely this one. This is particularly important if your parents are planning on moving into a new household. If that’s the case, then you need to opt for something that’s relatively practical, that’s not going to make their life even more complicated, but far simpler.

Even if they aren't moving into a new place, but are simply looking to have brand-new furniture, it would still be smart to buy pieces of furniture that are easy to move because then they'll be a lot more flexible and will have better control of things.

When that’s not the case, then they become heavily reliant on others, which definitely won’t make them feel good. After all, most of older folks aspire to be as independent as they can.

Safety, Safety, Safety

Regardless of how much you love your parents, the reality is that you cannot always protect them, however, what you can do is to ensure they reside in a space that’s secured to the maximum.

Keep in mind that seniors are unfortunately susceptible to various types of injuries and accidents, even in their own homes. That's why you need to purchase furniture that's safe and that's not going to harm them in any way.

Speaking of this, you should focus on the sharp edges, and avoid pieces of furniture that come with them because they can easily cause serious injuries.

Even though aging can be intimidating to some (for different reasons), as you can see, it doesn’t need to be all that “scary”, especially if you ensure your surroundings make you feel safe, comfortable, and happy.