Somewhere in the house there is a table that was once the center of every meal. Now it may hold the mail and the pill organizer, while Dad eats standing at the counter with his plate balanced on the edge of the sink. The right table and chairs make sitting down easy again, but only if they fit the man who will sit in them and the kitchen he has to walk around.
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What to do tonight
Pull out one of the kitchen chairs and sit in it. Notice whether your knees clear the underside of the table with room to shift your weight. Then try to stand up without pushing off the table. If you cannot do it smoothly, the chair or the table is wrong for the person who sits there. Do the same test with the chair Dad uses most. Write down what happens: the arms hit the table edge, the seat is too low to rise from easily, or the chair slides backward on the floor.
Next, measure the open floor between the table and the nearest wall, cabinet, or doorway. Pull the chair out fully and check whether a person can walk behind it while carrying a basket of laundry or a hot pan. Leave a clear path from the table to the stove, the refrigerator, and the sink. If the trash can or the dog bowl sits in that path, move it before you buy anything.
What to check before you buy
Look for a chair with a firm back and no arms, or with arms low enough that they do not catch on the table when he stands. Armless chairs are often easier to rise from. Check the seat height against the table. The seat should sit low enough that the feet rest flat on the floor and the knees bend comfortably, and high enough that getting up does not feel like a climb. Test the chair on your own kitchen floor, not the showroom carpet. Look at the feet of the chair. Felt or rubber pads protect hardwood and make the chair slide without scraping, but pads that stick to tile can make standing harder.
Plan for a second chair. When you visit, where will you sit? A bench on one side can work if it is not too deep for the walkway. Measure the bench against the wall so it does not block the back door or the path to the drawer that holds the knives.
Look at the light above the table. A fixture that hangs too low can hit the head of a tall person and cast a shadow over the plate. Check the light switch location so the lamp is easy to turn on at night.
Mom's chair
There may be a chair at the end of the table that has been empty for a long time. Do not remove it or sell it without asking Dad. Ask him whether he wants it moved to the living room, kept in its place, or given to someone else. Some men leave a chair where it is for a long time before they can decide. Let him decide.
When to ask the doctor
If Dad needs several tries to stand from any chair, or if a chair slides out from under him, mention it to his doctor or a physical therapist. A change in how he rises from a seat is worth raising with the people who can see him move.