Care home budgets are tighter than they’ve ever been.
With escalating labor expenses, utilities and food cost inflation, operators are scrambling to see where they can trim expenses and not impact quality of care. Here’s the thing most facility directors don’t realize…
Furnishing choices have a massive impact on operational efficiency.
A smart furnishing investment can:
- Cut down on maintenance costs
- Reduce staff workload
- Lower fall-related injuries
- Extend replacement cycles
This article discusses reasons why care home footstools are one of the most underutilised areas of efficiencies for FM’s today.
Let’s jump in!
What’s covered in this guide:
- Why Furnishing Investments Are An Efficiency Play
- The Real Cost Of Cheap Care Home Furniture
- How Care Home Footstools Drive Operational Gains
- What To Look For When Buying
- Practical Tips For Smarter Purchasing
Why Furnishing Investments Are An Efficiency Play
Most people don’t think about furniture as an efficiency tool.
Except when you own a care facility with 40 residents, 60 residents or 100+ residents….EVERY PIECE OF FURNITURE IS IN USE EVERY DAY. That equals a lot of wear and tear. That equals a lot of resident abuse. That equals a lot of staff hours.
Think about it:
Every time a resident can’t get comfortable, you call staff. Every time a chair breaks or a footstool rocks, someone needs to repair or replace it. Every time a resident falls because their feet were dangling, it’s a fall risk.
Furniture selection impacts more than just comfort. It impacts your labor hours, maintenance costs and your bottom line. That’s why many operators are changing their strategy.
Leading care homes are purchasing durable care home chairs and complimentary footstools which are built to last. The initial investment seems small when you take into account how many years they will last through constant use.
The Real Cost Of Cheap Care Home Furniture
Cheap furniture looks great on a spreadsheet…
But it ends up costing you way more in the long run.
Here’s why:
Inexpensive footstools and chairs often have lesser quality materials, poor frames and inadequate cushioning. They tend to deteriorate quickly, they are susceptible to stains, and aren’t designed to withstand unique pressures of a care setting.
That means:
- More frequent replacements
- More cleaning and disinfecting
- More broken parts to fix
- More resident complaints
Especially since 38.8% of care providers say utility bills are straining their operational budgets already, the last thing you want is another expense cutting into your bottom line.
Fact is… a footstool that lasts 2 years and requires frequent reupholstering costs you much more $$ than one that lasts 8 years and laughs off spills.
See also: What Families Should Know About How Documentation Affects Their At-Home Care Experience
How Care Home Footstools Drive Operational Gains
Care home footstools might sound like a small thing.
However, they do deliver disproportionately when it comes to operational efficiency. These are the three biggest ways they save you time and money.
Fall Prevention & Resident Safety
Falls are the biggest cost centre in most care homes.
Let’s look at some figures… There are around 400,000 people who reside within care homes across the UK. These individuals are 3x more likely to suffer from a fall compared to non-care home residents. Not only that but falls are responsible for costing the NHS exceedingly high amounts each year – reaching over £2 Billion per year!
That’s not just an NHS problem. It’s a facility problem too.
If a resident falls, your team must leave their duties. You get more paperwork. You field family calls. And occasionally CQC will want to speak with you.
Care home footstools help solve this by:
- Supporting the legs and keeping feet elevated
- Preventing swelling and stiffness
- Making it easier for residents to reposition safely
- Reducing the “sliding out of the chair” risk
That’s a lot of value from a single piece of furniture.
Staff Time Savings
Here’s something operators overlook…
Quality footstools decrease the frequency of staff interventions. By propping feet correctly, residents can:
- Stay comfortable for longer
- Ask for repositioning less often
- Are less likely to try standing up on their own
Take that times an entire shift and you’re giving your team back whole hours each week.
Long-Term Cost Savings
Cheap footstools break. Simple as that.
If you purchase well-made care home footstools with waterproof fabrics and structural protection…you are purchasing a piece of furniture that can last 5-10 years rather than 1-2. That’s a massive savings when you look at the lifespan of the facility.
Plus when you consider average energy bills are £1,233 per person per year, every £ saved on replacements and repairs helps.
What To Look For When Buying
Not all care home footstools are made equal.
In order to realize those operational efficiency gains you’re looking for, you must purchase the correct equipment. Here’s what you should look for before purchasing:
Look for these features:
- Waterproof and wipe-clean upholstery
- Antimicrobial fabric treatments
- Reinforced hardwood or metal frames
- Non-slip base pads
- Matching height with your care home chairs
The height point is really important.
If footstools aren’t the same height as your chairs’ seats they’re useless. Tenants won’t utilize them correctly, leaving you with a chair that collects dust in the corner.
Also consider:
- Weight capacity ratings
- Warranty periods
- Fire retardancy (CRIB 5 rating)
- Ease of moving for cleaning
Practical Tips For Smarter Purchasing
Want to make your next furnishing investment count?
Follow these simple rules and you’ll avoid most of the common mistakes.
Purchase chairs and footstools as a set. Chairs purchased in matching sets will fit better and allow for easier replacement of parts in the future.
Prioritise cleanability. You’re going to be wiping down furniture several times a day. If it hurts to clean it, your staff will avoid doing it right.
Try before you buy. Request a sample from your supplier. Allow your residents and staff to trial it for a week before ordering several units.
Plan for replacements. Pick sets that will still be in production in 3-5 years. That way you can replace pieces without purchasing an entirely new set.
Bringing It All Together
Investing in smart furnishings is one of the simplest efficiency gains that care home operators can achieve.
They won’t need new equipment. They won’t need new employees. They won’t need complex systems. They will just need you to purchase quality products from the start.
To quickly recap:
- Cheap furniture costs you more in the long run
- Care home footstools help reduce falls and save staff time
- Match your footstools with your chairs
- Prioritise durability, cleanability, and warranty
- Plan for replacements from day one
Make these changes and you’ll see the operational gains start to add up fast.
