Sunday, July 15, 2007

Innovative Furniture Design For Elderly And Infirm

While younger people can easily get in and out of bed or sit on a couch, older people can have a much harder time of it, with conditions such as arthritis or rheumatism considerably limiting their movements. Czech and German partners, involved in the EUREKA E! 3210 SPECIFURN project, have developed a new line of furniture aimed at making life and leisure easier for the elderly and infirm. Their designs are suitable for use in old people's homes, public urban spaces, swimming pools and railway stations.

"There is a lot to consider when designing furniture for senior citizens," says SPECIFURN coordinator Josef Bartak of Form, in the Czech Republic. "We need to closely consider elderly people's special needs, particularly their reduced mobility, but also other differences compared to younger members of the population." The new designs were based on in-depth research and considerable accumulated experience among the partners.

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