Behavioral Health

When we design furniture for mental health facilities, our goal is to provide peace of mind. Whether that means heavily weighted furniture which cannot be picked up and thrown, or reduced-ligature furniture to protect patients from harming themselves, safety is always the top priority.

Here are some of the things we need to consider when designing mental health furniture:

Ligature Risks

Hanging or strangulation is the most common method of suicide for patients in psychiatric care (used in approximately 75% of cases), so minimzing ligature risks is a key area of concern for care providers. Our reduced-ligature wardrobes are designed to maximize safety in mental health envrionments.

Learn more about our reduced-ligature furniture

Weaponization

Occasions of violence and aggression are not uncommon in psychiatric units as a result of patients being in acute behavioral distress. In these situations, furniture can pose a risk of being used as a weapon, either by being picked up and swung/thrown or by being broken into smaller parts (e.g. a chair leg) and being used as a striking weapon. The heavily weighted chairs in our Ryno range are designed to be near-impossible to pick up, protecting staff and patients from injury.

Learn more about our safe furniture

Concealment

Concealment (also known as stashing) of contraband is a significant safety risk in mental health environments. Medication is sometimes concealed in an attempt to evade treatment, or to pass to other patients which may compromise recovery plans. Sharp objects may also be concealed in connection with self-harm or to use as a weapon to harm others. Staff are also at risk of harm from sharp objects when conducting contraband searches. Our anti-concealment products are designed to minimize concealment opportunities and make inspection safer for staff.

Learn more about our anti-concealment furniture

Aggression

While care providers will always aim to minimize disruptive behavior using verbal de-escalation, this approach may not always be successful. When a patient is in severe distress and initial verbal de-escalation techniques have proven ineffective, physical restraint may be used as a last resort to prevent the patient causing harm to themselves and others.

Learn more about our physical restraint furniture

Infection Control

Children and adults with severe learning disabilities often experience continence problems, caused either by physical or developmental reasons. As well as requiring sensitive nursing care, incontinence can also put additional demands upon furniture. Our water-resistant products are carefully designed to improve hygiene in challenging environments.

Learn more about our hygienic furniture

Acoustics

Excessive noise in mental health environments can be disturbing to already sensitive patients, and potentially detrimental to treatment and recovery plans. Our acoustic products are designed to minimize the effects of excessive noise, creating calmer, more therapeutic spaces.

Explore our acoustic products