Monthly Update November 2022
06 Dec 2022
Dining Room Furniture For Challenging Behaviours
14 Jul 2020 in Press release
Meals are universally critical times for sustenance and socialising. Dining room furniture is a key variable in the mealtime experience because it determines the physical orientations people take while getting together to eat—and thus their comfort levels, ease in interacting with each other, and even the reinforcement of positive feelings.
Dining facilities intended for individuals with challenging behaviours need to factor these special needs in, to drive both the design of the spaces and also the selection of the dining room furniture that is purchased for them.
What Is Included In “Challenging Behaviours”?
Professionals familiar with buying furniture for mental health settings may be accustomed to taking into account such special considerations when designing spaces. However, selection should not be limited strictly to mental health furniture.
Challenging behaviours can also include SEN environments—for those people with special educational needs—and residential or respite care settings.
And while the thought of managing SEN environments in a very similar way to how a respite care facility is managed may seem jarring, there is significant overlap in the needs of this community. All of these groups—really, all people with challenging behaviours—need to feel safe, secure, and nourished.
What Dining Room Furniture Features Work Best For Challenging Behaviours?
As any industry expert will tell you, there are very specific features that have been demonstrated to be effective in group settings with challenging behaviours. For a list of options, check out our specific page dedicated to dining rooms for challenging behaviours.
- Physical safety – Furniture should be well-assembled from high-quality materials that will endure over time. Surfaces should be smooth and rounded. The use of polycarbonate is frequent as it is difficult to break.
- Stability – Furniture should be reinforced, wherever possible, to keep it in place or make it difficult to move or weaponise. Keep your eyes open for extra reinforcing touches, such as the placement of nylon caps at the bottom of a table to limit moisture ingress and thereby increase the lifespan of the table.
- Comfort – Consider the range of individual sizes, ages, and conditions that this furniture will need to accommodate. Would it be more comfortable to buy armless chairs, or perhaps seat cushioning is very important? Does this dining furniture fit the space and leave room for easy movement? Carefully think about how people will interact with the furniture you select.
- Comfort – Consider the range of individual sizes, ages, and conditions that this furniture will need to accommodate. Would it be more comfortable to buy armless chairs, or perhaps seat cushioning is very important? Does this dining furniture fit the space and leave room for easy movement? Carefully think about how people will interact with the furniture you select.
- Easy to clean – To meet the highest levels of infection control, this dining room furniture is wipe clean and has rounded edges to facilitate easy cleaning. Keep vulnerable individuals safe from disease by cleaning the furniture, find out more here.
How Can Tough Furniture Help?
Only a furniture company that is well-versed in the ways furniture can address challenging behaviours will be able to meet the needs you face. This includes everything from product durability through to top-notch customer service.
This is where Tough Furniture steps in. Whether you need bespoke furniture design or regular material maintenance, our staff will work with you to pinpoint your needs and then develop solutions. Call us today to start mapping out your dining room furniture needs.
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- 5 Reasons Why Specialist Mental Health Furniture Is Essential In Challenging Environments
- How To Reduce Ligature Risks In Mental Health Environments
- Mental Health Furniture For Consulting Rooms
