Setting up an assistive home for a frail person does not mean erasing the living room to make way for aids. It means keeping important activities, belongings and relationships, while leaving the space needed for the chair and for the person providing care. The chair should be placed where it can actually be used, not simply where it fits. Lighting, table, handset, routes and care supplies must work together: a welcoming room should not hide the technical needs, but integrate them neatly.
In brief
A living room suited to care must leave room for movement without losing the belongings, habits and identity of the person who lives in it. Lighting, cables, side table and aids should be organised around daily activities and around what the seated person can see. Photos, measurements and preferences help you prepare for the consultation; passageways and spaces can only be confirmed by considering them together with the chair and the care that is planned.
Before the floor plan, look at where the day is spent
A spot in a secondary room may end up being little used, even when it offers plenty of space. Ask where the person prefers to read, chat or rest, and which moments they want to share. Do not choose the living room on principle: a quiet bedroom may be preferred at certain times of the day.
Describe what already happens, without arranging trial moves. Mornings by the window, lunch at the table and rest in a quieter spot are all useful for deciding whether one spot is enough or whether to consider a route between several rooms.
Thinking about frailty and everyday independence starts with the person. Orienting the furniture and leaving comfortable access can make it easier for them to take part in the activities they want, without giving up the aids they need.
Looking at the living room from the seated person’s position
A room seen while standing may seem comfortable, while from the seat the screen is off to one side, the lamp dazzles and the phone is left behind the backrest. Assess the view from the planned position, without asking the person to reach for objects to demonstrate a difficulty.
Sollevita’s high backrest and Push Head powered headrest offer adjustable support, but they do not correct a television placed off-centre or a book that is too far away. The room must contribute to comfort: the orientation of the chair, a surface to put things on and the lighting should be considered together. [1]
Ask which objects need to be within direct reach and which can be kept by the person providing care. The answer may change when the person is resting. A handset that is reachable when seated may not be reachable in the most reclined position: this needs to be clarified during the product trial.
Lighting should support reading, orientation and rest
A window can make the spot pleasant, but direct light can create reflections or glare. Adjustable curtains and a well-placed lamp offer different options throughout the day. The point is not to make the room ever brighter, but to light the activity without making the view uncomfortable.
The Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (BFU) draws attention to home lighting, obstacles and cables along walkways. When placing Sollevita, also consider the space needed for the movements of the backrest and footrest, according to the product instructions. [2]
Also check how the light is switched on. An easily reachable switch, or an arrangement agreed with the person providing care, prevents a simple change from requiring an awkward manoeuvre. Do not use extension leads or makeshift connections to achieve a placement that looks better.
Personal belongings close by, movement area clear
A book, a radio or a photograph can make the spot recognisable. However, they must not rest against the mechanism, hang near the linkages or block the path of an aid. The side table should be chosen bearing in mind what happens when the chair changes position.
Avoid filling both sides just to make it look like a fixed armchair. If one side is needed for care, it must remain available. That space allows the person providing care to get close and work without having to move the furniture every time.
Decide on a fixed place for the handset and a separate place for the manual, charger and accessories that are not used all the time. Gathering everything in a container far away may tidy the room but take away the person’s control over an adjustment they could manage themselves.
Fabrics and finishes: integrating the product without covering it
Sollevita is a single model that can be customised in its dimensions and upholstery. Raggio di Sole or Mons fabrics and faux leather let you assess the appearance together with everyday upkeep. You do not have to choose between a homely look and a technical product; what matters is checking what suits the room and the way it will be used. [1]
Both the outer and the underlying covers are fully removable. This makes the chair easier to look after, while washing and cleaning follow the instructions for the chosen material.
A very large generic throw can hide the controls, obstruct movements or get caught in the mechanical parts. It is not the right way to match the chair to the sofa. Consider the upholstery and only compatible protective covers, avoiding add-on accessories that interfere with operation.
The table and moving around: start from what the person wants to do
If the person wants to join a meal, look at the actual table: the apron, crossbars, legs and knee space matter as much as the height of the top. The removable armrest section can free up some space, but it does not prove that every table is compatible.
The vertical height adjustment changes the height of the whole chair; the position for the meal must be appropriate for the person and keep adequate support. The adjustment is not meant to push the body under a tabletop or to make up for any difference in height. [1]
The manually moved wheeled base allows short indoor moves with the person seated, on suitable routes and handled according to the instructions. It is not an invitation to give up walking or the wheelchair when they are still needed. The benefit should be assessed for the specific activity, not as a reason for more moves.
Mapping the room in six elements
This table helps you prepare photos and questions. It does not set universal measurements and does not replace a site visit when one is needed. Fill it in by observing the room and the person’s preferences, without trying out uncertain routes with the person seated.
| Element | Practical question | Information to gather |
|---|---|---|
| Main position | Which activity and which view does the person want? | Overview photo and stated preferences |
| Lighting | Are there reflections or switches that are hard to reach? | Daytime and evening view of the spot |
| Surface next to the chair | Does it stay clear of the movements, and is it really needed? | Position relative to the backrest and footrest |
| Care side | Who needs to get close, and with which aid? | Available space and intended use |
| Aids area | Can they be fetched without blocking the exits? | Parking spot and connection to walkways |
| Power and charging | Who manages them without cables running across the floor? | Socket, cable route and person responsible |
You can mark these six points on a simple floor plan. A wide photo of the room helps to identify them; a close-up of a single corner, on the other hand, can lose the relationships between pieces of furniture. If people or documents appear, share only what is necessary and authorised.
Wheelchair, patient hoist and care supplies should not be hidden
Set up a parking area for the aids that keeps doors and paths clear. Do not choose a distant spot just to keep them out of sight: when they are needed, it must be possible to fetch them without crossing a room full of obstacles.
Care supplies can be kept together in a nearby cabinet, according to their storage requirements and intended use. Separating what is needed every day from what is used occasionally avoids turning the person’s side table into a storeroom.
The French public portal for older people describes adapting the home as an assessment of individual needs, not a one-size-fits-all solution. The starting point is therefore the daily life of the person who lives in the home and the help they can count on. [3]
When looks and function seem to clash
A much-loved rug can get in the way of the route or the footrest. Do not assume it is suitable just because it has been secured: its relationship with the product and the other aids needs to be assessed. It may be better to move it out of the working area, keeping it elsewhere in the room.
The same applies to a nearby piece of furniture. Its personal value matters, but it must not block the access the person providing care needs. Reorganising does not mean throwing everything away: it means choosing which objects stay in the area and which can be moved elsewhere.
Do not hide cables under rugs or behind inaccessible furniture. A tidy connection that can be checked is better than an invisible one that is hard to manage. Sollevita’s structure and functions help you understand which access points to keep, without promising that every room can accommodate any configuration.
Checking that the room works in daily life
Once the chair is in place, ask which activities have become more practical and which still need adjusting. A tidy photo is not enough: what counts is whether the handset can be found, whether the lamp is useful and whether the person providing care can reach the spot without constantly moving furniture.
A review may concern just one thing, such as the position of the side table, rather than changing everything. Keep the person’s preferences as a reference, without automatically attributing discomfort to the furniture or promising that a new layout will resolve it.
After a change, note what has become more practical and which obstacles remain. A photo of the room can help compare layouts, while respecting the privacy of the person and of their personal belongings.
FAQ
Common questions
Where should you start with an assistive home for a frail person?
With the person’s day and preferences, then with access, lighting and the care required. The largest or emptiest room is not automatically the best choice: it must allow the activities the person wants and the appropriate use of aids.
Is it better to place the chair in the living room or in the bedroom?
It depends on habits and needs. The living room may be preferred for conversations and shared moments; the bedroom for quiet breaks or care needs. What matters is that the location allows the chair and the other aids to be used with the space they need.
Can I cover Sollevita with a matching throw?
Only with items that are compatible with the instructions. A generic cover can interfere with the controls, ventilation and mechanisms. It is better to assess the right upholstery and not to hide the whole product under fabrics that have not been checked.
Can the wheeled base be used to bring the person to the table?
It can allow an indoor move along a suitable route, according to the instructions. The position at the table, stability and support must also be checked. The wheels do not replace an assessment of the activity and the route.
Should I hide the wheelchair and the patient hoist?
No. They must be available and placed without blocking access and passageways. Keeping things tidy can improve the room, but it must not make it harder to fetch the aids the person needs.
Which photos are useful for the consultation?
An overview, the view from the chair’s position, the table, the care side and the power socket, with clear size references where needed. Do not show unnecessary personal data and do not carry out risky moves to record a video.
Sources and references
[1] Sollevita — Features and construction of the chair.
[3] Pour les personnes âgées public portal · France — Adapting your home (in French).
Prepare a room that is recognisable and usable
Mark on the map what the person wants close by and what must stay clear for care. Share the points to be clarified with the Sollevita Team and find out more about everyday mobility and care needs: the aim is to bring a useful function into the home, not to strip the home of its identity.
