7 Essential Considerations When Buying Furniture For A Mental Health Facility
There are many organisations, businesses, and facilities where the responsibility for purchasing commercial furniture for the use of those within them falls upon one or more individuals.
When that furniture is being bought for use in a mental health facility, there is a lot more to be considered than just seat fabric, colours, and how many drawers there might be in a desk.
Given that patients and residents of a mental health facility have specific needs and that the staff working in such a facility may have requirements relating to their work, it follows that any furniture bought for use in a mental health facility requires a great deal of thought.
If you are reading this and you are indeed someone upon which some or all the responsibility for furniture buying for a mental health facility falls, we hope to be of some assistance.
What follows are seven essential factors that you must consider before purchasing that furniture which we hope you will find most useful when the time comes to start searching for it.
Essential Consideration #1 – Establish Your Budget First
Before you start looking for furniture for your mental health facility, your search is going to make a lot more sense and take less time, if you start out knowing what budget you are working with.
This way you can eliminate furniture which is going to cost too much and focus on that which your available budget allows for.
Essential Consideration #2 – Seek Advice From Furniture Companies Who Specialise In This Type Of Furniture
Most endeavours will have a better outcome if you have expert help which is why we recommend you contact a local furniture company that specialises in furniture for mental health facilities.
They can give you great advice as to which furniture will suit your specific needs and which to avoid.
Essential Consideration #3 – Safety Is Your Top Priority
We appreciate there are mental health facilities that care for patients with a vast array of different needs.
However, whether you deal with patients who can get violent or those who are absolutely passive, you have a duty of care to everyone including all patients, visitors, and staff.
As such, the furniture you buy must be 100% safe including tamperproof.
Essential Consideration #4 – Seek Durable And Robust Furniture
You should be seeking furniture which is guaranteed to be robust and durable.
This is not just from an economic perspective and hoping that it will last for a long time, but also potential scenarios when the furniture is treated roughly or even thrown due to a patient becoming agitated or violent.
Flimsy chairs are of little use in those circumstances.
Essential Consideration #5 – Look For Furniture That Is Easy To Clean
We would advise you to consider this regardless of where the future is to be used as it is always preferable that furniture is easy to clean.
However, in a mental health facility, there are possibly going to be situations where food is dropped or drinks are spilt, whether accidentally or deliberately, and you want it to be as easy as possible to clean these and other stains from the furniture.
Essential Consideration #6 – Find The Right Balance Between Comfort And Good Support
Whilst it is their mental health that you are focussing on whilst patients are with you, it does not mean that you ignore their physical health at the same time.
This is why you should seek furniture such as chairs and seats which offer great support to avoid back problems, whilst at the same time are comfortable too. Incidentally, the same also applies to office chairs bought for staff.
Essential Consideration #7 – Consider Colour Psychology When Choosing Styles
You may be aware that there has been lots of research published that relates to colour psychology and specifically how every colour can influence those who see it.
If keeping patients calm and relaxed is desirable, then consider choosing primarily brown, blue, pink, or green for your furniture colours whilst avoiding red, yellow, and black.