11 Bedroom Essentials To Consider For Your Care Home

If you want to provide a good quality of life for the residents in your care home, it’s important to maintain great living standards at all times. This means that you will need to ensure a modern living environment, that can offer comfort, plenty of space, and tailored services. Other crucial factors include maintaining independence and promoting cohesion in design. When it comes to designing the bedrooms in your care home, there are certain features and items that you shouldn’t overlook. Today we will take a closer look at some of these bedroom essentials, that will make a difference in how residents feel in your care home.

Profiling Bed

It may be beneficial to look for a profiling bed suitable for various resident needs. You can also choose a design that will enhance the look of your rooms and add value to your care home. Along with a beautiful exterior, you should ensure that beds are reliable and durable. They should be at a height for safe handling of residents with a mattress and suitable accessories. Be sure that there is height, contour, backrest, and knee adjustment, including a tilt function. This will help as care needs change and will be useful for transfers in and out of bed.

Tray Table

Tray tables can be especially helpful for those who are bed-ridden, disabled, or elderly, as they can make eating in bed easier and more comfortable. NHC Group provides a wide range of tray tables to fit a variety of beds and chairs. They are also available in attractive and contemporary designs, so you are guaranteed to find something suitable for your care home. Moreover, tray tables provide a stable surface, which allows residents to take part in other activities, such as reading, writing, or working at a laptop. This makes them the perfect solution for anyone with limited mobility, who may find sitting at a standard desk difficult.

Mirror

You should also find mirrors of a suitable size and at an appropriate height. There are many different types of mirrors designed to suit a range of price points and budgets. For residents with dementia, you may need to find reversible mirrors.This is because these residents might find it distressing to look into a regular mirror, as they might be unable to recognise their own reflection. However, a reversible mirror can be a good alternative, as this is a mirror on one side and a calming image on the other. This means that either side can be used as needed and is simple to change.

Lighting

Good lighting makes a huge difference in care homes and healthcare settings. As we age, physiological changes in our eyes might make it difficult to see steadily. Therefore, you should put lighting at the forefront of your bedroom design. For example,  task lighting such as lamps can be an affordable and easy addition to your care home, as they can also provide flexibility and independence. You can place a bedside lamp with an easy-to-operate switch, allowing residents to be self-reliant. Avoid placing lights directly above the bed since this may cause discomfort when a resident is lying on the bed.

Seating

Next, it’s important to provide suitable seating for the resident’s use, such as recliner chairs, which can assist with sitting and standing while providing premium comfort. If a chair is too hard or rigid, this may add pressure and reduce the blood supply to the skin. As a result, prolonged pressure may lead the skin to break down and form a sore. Therefore, you should look for recliner loveseat, cushioned chairs and sofas that can distribute the pressure evenly. In addition, you should ensure there are plenty of seating options available for visitors.

Drawers

There are many different drawers, that you may need to get, such as chests of drawers for elderly care, autism, dementia care, learning difficulties, and challenging behaviour. It’s crucial to find chests of drawers that are built for everyday use in busy and demanding care homes. You may want to invest in strong metal-sided drawers with metal handles or knobs. Additionally, if required, select drawer locks for safe storage of medicines and personal belongings. In general, hard-wearing melamine surfaces can be easily cleaned with a damp cloth and a quick wipe-over.

Lift chairs supplier Brisbane suggests that investing in these specially designed chairs can significantly improve the quality of life for residents in care homes. These chairs offer a practical and comfortable solution for individuals with mobility challenges, promoting independence and overall well-being.

Bedside Cabinet

To provide residents with additional storage for their personal belongings, you should look for bedside cabinets, that are suitable for a variety of care environments. Be sure to select a bedside cabinet with rounded polished edges for longevity and avoid injuries with cutaway handles. In some cases, you may be able to find bedside cabinets, that are supplied with the addition of attached tall wardrobes. This way, residents can also store clothing along with their medications and other belongings. Also, it may be a good idea to choose a modern design for a homely feel.

Accessories

Another great way to provide comfort in bedrooms is to personalise them with accessories and create a welcoming ambience. For example, you can get decorative pillows or include residents’ accessories, such as photographs, keepsakes, or their favourite blankets. You may also consider adding plants in residents’ bedrooms and asking them to take care of them. Remember that fresh flowers may not be the best choice, as they can cause allergies, so dried or silk flowers may be better. Dried flowers last longer than fresh ones and make great decorations. However, it’s important to know how to keep dried flowers properly to maintain their beauty and longevity. It may also be helpful to allow them to bring bedding from home. This will create a sense of familiarity, which will make adapting totheir new surroundings easier.

Wardrobe

When it comes to finding the right wardrobe with sliding wardrobe doors, it’s important to find one that is sturdy and rigid, and is built to last without any sway or wobble. Ensure that there are strong door hinges, as well as high-quality drawers. Wardrobes need to be unparalleled in terms of durability so that they can withstand years of use. This is a crucial factor, as weak and unreliable wardrobes pose a risk not only to your residents, but to your staff and visitors as well. Also, be sure to select wardrobes that are easy and quick to clean, saving your team some time.

Signs

Adding reminder signs around the rooms can help you create a homely and familiar environment. Be sure to include information about the facilities, activities, and meal times. This will make locating key areas in the building easier and ensure residents can arrive on time for activities. Signage for people living with dementia should incorporate a range of measures to communicate, such as visual cues and colours. In most cases, signs can be customised to meet your residents’ needs, so you should think about what information is important in your care home and make sure it is visible at all times.

Curtains

Quality of sleep is crucial, so you may want to look for ways to block out noise and light so that residents can sleep better at night. Therefore, you may need to look for thicker and higher-quality curtains that can be placed in their bedrooms. Also, if you want to minimise any potential danger that could arise, such as a fire, you should look for fire retardant curtains. These curtains are designed in a way that makes them more resistant to the possibility of fire, as they are made with non-combustible yarns and textiles.