Healthcare facilities and care homes demand specific requirements when it comes to buying medical furniture. Whether you are furnishing a new hospital ward or refurbishing an existing care home, there are several important factors to consider when choosing your furniture. Using our knowledge and experience we have compiled the below guide to choosing medical furniture
The comfort of any medical furniture is one of the most important factors, for patients, residents and visitors. Patients and residents that have reduced mobility will usually spend a prolonged period of time in the same place. Whether that be in bed or sitting in a chair, the comfort of these furnishings is crucial. Beds are available with various mattress options such as a pressure mattress which is designed to reduce pressure on the user and help prevent bedsores. Healthcare beds are also available with features such as low height, to aid users getting in and out of bed easier.
For patients and residents that struggle with mobility, furniture such as overbed tables can be very useful to aid comfort. They are a flexible solution to enable everday activities such as eating and reading, and are available with adjustable height and tilting features.
Like patients and residents, comfort is also important for visitors. Friends and family members regularly visit hospitals and care homes and if they are to spend a substantial amount of time with their loved on then the comfort of visitor seating needs to be considered. Likewise, when there is a long wait in A & E, patients and visitors will appreciate medical furniture with great comfort.
Although comfort is one of the most important factors, durability is arguably just as important. There’s no point in having comfortable medical furniture if you’re going to need to replace it every couple of months. With hospital wards and care homes regularly operating at full capacity, the level of usage will be extremely high and therefore any furniture will need to be robust and durable.
It’s also worth noting that, to aid nurses and carers, a lot of medical furniture is designed with wheels so it can be transported easily. If you purchase furniture that isn’t robust then wheels can become broken/fall off, leaving you with costly repair bills or they become no longer fit for purpose.
An essential factor of medical furniture is that its’ easy to clean. This is to aid nurses and carers when cleaning the furniture as it speeds up the process. Where possible, avoid materials that hold liquids and retain stains and look for seating with space between the back and seat.
When looking at how easy medical furniture is to clean, it’s also important to consider how hygienic it is and how easy it is to control infections. Healthcare facilities can be exposed to patients with germs and infections but the key is to contain those infections and prevent them from spreading. It’s common for patient seating to be made using coated antimicrobial fabrics which are used to stop hospital-associated infections spreading throughout the building.
Aesthetics
The final factor to consider is the aesthetics of the furniture. Having the right furniture in your hospital ward or care home can provide a positive environment for patients and visitors, enhancing their wellbeing. Check out our image gallery for interior design ideas here.
Renray Healthcare Medical Furniture
For over 50 years, Renray Healthcare has been supplying high-quality medical furniture to the healthcare sector, making us one of the UK’s largest and leading suppliers. Over those 50 years, we’ve gained valuable insights on what makes the perfect solution for all of our customers. If you’d like to find out more on our medical furniture solutions then check out our products. Alternatively, you can complete our online enquiry form or call 01606 593 456.
