Updated August 23, 2014.

A critical part of patient care, and speedier recovery, involves designing a room that promotes patient mobility. A patient confined to a hospital bed will heal more slowly, and therefore require more days admitted to the hospital, than a patient that ambulates in and out of bed and takes walks on the unit hallway, at the very least. In fact, the patient confined to the bed runs a greater risk of developing bed sores, also known as pressure ulcers, and pneumonia.

Pneumonia and Pressure ulcers are considered "hospital acquired conditions" when they arise during a hospital stay, and therefore government and private insurers will reimburse little to nothing back to the hospital for the cost of any care associated with that newly acquired condition.

So if the average healthy senior spends a little over 6 hours per day on their feet, they must spend a decent portion of that same time walking around the hospital too, right?

Wrong.

The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and others have published studies that show patients in their 60's, 70's and older, spend roughly 83% of their day in their hospital bed, with some leaving their bed less than 40 minutes per day.

How Design and product Selection Encourages Patient Mobility

First, get the patient out of bed by making it an inviting proposition for them. Give them comfortable seating options so that they can get out of bed, perhaps take a walk if they are able, and then instead of returning to their bed, sit upright in a chair.

Chair Features to Consider for Senior Care Comfort.

• Many geriatric patients have difficulty bending at the waist. Therefore, activities of daily living like sitting down into a chair or pulling oneself out of a chair, prove challenging.
• Look for chars that can meet the elderly patient half-way, so to speak, as they bend to sit.

Look at Herman Miller's Nala Chair and Cente Chair for example. There are always more options coming onto the market, but these two can show you what I mean. Both of these chairs project upward and forward so that the patient can back into the seat without needing to drop into a ninety-degree seated position bend before they land on the seat cushion.

These same chairs also safely lift the patient upward until they are closer to a standing position before they need to engage their own muscles to stand up fully. Patient seating like these safely ease an elderly patient into and out of the chair. Ideal for the needs of patients admitted to your Senior Care Unit.

• A second aspect of seating that will help seniors safely sit: A soft "waterfall" front of the seat pan. Imagine someone in a patient gown or robe, shuffling backwards to locate the chair by feel. Help them overcome their fear and lack of confidence by giving them an aspect of the chair they can feel. Like an air traffic controller guiding in a plane safely to the runway, the waterfall front edge of the chair can be felt by the patients calves and back of the knees. Ok. Found it. I'm there.
• Third feature the patient chair needs for a safe landing: Large comfortable arms with a front edge that is easy to grasp. As the patient nestles up against the front edge of the seat, backs of their knees touching the waterfall front lip, they'll need to reach back for a firm grasp on the chair arms to complete the safe recline. If the arms are a soft material it will be a more pleasant experience for the patient to sit there, and actually use the chair. And a front edge of the handle will enable the patient to grasp their fingers around the arm to get a firm, and safe, grip.

Get caught up on more Tips for Planning Your Senior Care Unit:

• Medical Supply Planning For Senior Care Units
• A Soothing Environment = Better Care
• What's Should I Specify for the Floor? Carpet in Vinyl?
• Benefits of a Private Room in Senior Care Unit Design
• How to Maximize Caregiver Time Spent in A Patient's Room
• Safety Features For Geriatric Hospital Rooms
• Get Your Geriatric Patients to and from the Bathroom With These Medical Supplies
• Improve Observation of Your Geriatric Patients With Caregiver Alcoves