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Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment (Senior Living)

 

Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment (FF&E) is an important, expensive, and difficult to manage component of a senior living community.  It includes all of the “stuff” in the community that was not furnished and installed by the general contractor during the construction process. This includes: furniture, art, window coverings, kitchen equipment, gym equipment, computers, copiers, medical supplies, etc.

 

FF&E is another category that can be confusing as to who is providing what.  It's a good practice to line item out all the broad categories of components of the FF&E package on the responsibility list that I discuss here.  This enables everyone to know exactly what they are furnishing and installing.  The cost for the FF&E package can easily exceed $1 million for even a medium sized community so it is something you need to manage closely.

FF&E section from example responsibility list.

The bulk of your FF&E package is provided by your interior designer and operator.  Although the general contractor will likely provide the kitchen equipment and install some of the salon equipment that connects to electrical, plumbing and ventilation lines.

 

The furniture, art, and window coverings are usually selected, procured, furnished, and installed by your interior designer.  It makes sense for your interior designer to select these items because you want to make sure that the FF&E goes with the interior finishes.  Your interior designer should present their portion of the FF&E package to the owner and operator for approval before ordering anything.  This presentation should show a floor plan of each room in the facility that is going to get FF&E, show where that FF&E is going in the room, and have a picture and material/color selection of each piece of FF&E.  Any example room presentation slide is included below.

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Example FF&E room presentation slide

When your interior designer gets ready to order all of the FF&E, they are usually going to require the owner pay a deposit 50% - 60% of the total FF&E package cost.  FF&E usually has to be ordered about six months in advance of the desired delivery date.  Given that the FF&E package can easily cost over $1 million, the capital outlay for this deposit will be significant.  And the interest payment on this deposit will start accumulating for months before the FF&E is delivered.  

 

Make sure you are working with an experienced and reputable firm for your FF&E order.  Small businesses go bankrupt all the time.  You don't want your interior designer to go bankrupt after you paid them half a million dollars for your FF&E package. 

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Furnishing Model Units

To help lease a unit to a prospective resident, it is good to show them a model unit that is well furnished so they can envision what their future unit will look like.  However, furnishing this model unit costs money.  You have to pay for the FF&E in the model unit, and for those design and installation costs from your interior designer.  Ensure your interior designer has model unit furnishing in their contract scope and price. 

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Scheduling FF&E Installation

Scheduling your FF&E installation can be tricky because fire marshals will usually not let you install FF&E until after you get your certificate of occupancy.  But near the end of a big, long and complex project, the CO date is a moving target.  This problem is compounded because the interior designer usually needs certainty of the FF&E installation date about 6 - 8 weeks in advance of installing.  If your GC gets delayed in getting his certificate of occupancy, and you have to push back your FF&E install date, the installers will usually charge the owner a fee for this rescheduling.  And possibly an extra charge for extended storage of the FF&E because of the delay.

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I have managed senior living developments where the FF&E trucks rolled up to the campus, and the building was an absolute mess.  The building was dirty, construction materials were in rooms and hallways, and subcontractors were racing around trying to finish their work.  Not an ideal environment to install beautiful and clean FF&E that is supposed to make the rooms come to life.  Manage the FF&E install date closely with your GC and interior designer.  Start discussing this at least three months out from your scheduled CO date.  Explicitly tell the GC the repercussions you and the installers will face if he does not get his CO on time - and put that in writing/email.

 

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Salon FF&E

The FF&E that goes into the salon can get confusing as to who is furnishing and installing what.  For instance, if your salon has a pedicure chair, you need to decide:

  • who will select the chair (usually your interior designer, but sometimes your operator)

  • who will furnish the chair (either your interior designer or GC)

  • since your chair is hooked up to electrical, water, and drain lines, your GC will have to install the chair.

Be sure to clarify who is doing what with the salon FF&E in your responsibility list. ​

 

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Furniture Selections Specifically for Seniors

Seniors have specific needs and limitations and the furniture selection needs to accommodate those issues.  For example, some senior have incontinence problems (loss of bladder control), so you want to pick chair seats that are resistant to urine stains.  Urine has a pungent smell that can permeate a large area of a building.  Having a piece of furniture that will absorb a pee accident and is difficult to clean will mean you need to get rid of the furniture.  So be sure to pick the material on the furniture that is resistant to stains and absorption.


Chairs should also have arms, to help senior get into and up from a seated position.  Dinning chairs should have casters on the front legs to help them slide under, and out from, a dinning table more easily. 

Bar and counter stools should have backs and sides to help keep a senior from falling off.  Also, try to limit the amount of bar height countertops in your facility.  Those countertops require bar height stools, which are taller than counter height stools, and present more a hazard if a senior were to fall out of one.

Respite Care Rooms

You may want to consider offering respite care at your facility during lease up.  Respite care is temporary care you provide for a senior to give their permanent care giver a break.  For instance, an elderly woman may live with her adult daughter, but that daughter needs to take a work trip or go on a family vacation without mom.  This daughter can drop off mom at a senior care facility that offers respite care to ensure mom is going to be taken care of while the daughter is away.

 

If you are going to offer respite care, plan to furnish those rooms with FF&E.  This would be similar to the furnishing you would provide for a model room.  Don’t pick a prime room with a great view for your model room or respite care room.  Save that unit for a long-term resident.

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Next Page: Commercial Kitchen & Laundry

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