A Unique Stool Designed for Hospice Comfort
Ian Adler displays the Yip Stool that he dedicated to his mother’s memory.
Ian Adler hopes that his Yip Stool will eventually serve a simple, yet profound purpose. While visitors gather around the bedside of an ailing loved one, Ian wants to offer them some comfort — quite literally. Instead of standing, mulling, or hovering over hospital bed side rails, they might instead sit comfortably on his stool to spend quality time together.
Ian and his family do their best to surround his dying mother, a scene which would later inspire him to create comfortable seating for families.
Ian’s grief following his mother’s death moved him to create one-of-a-kind furniture for families of hospice patients. Ian then made a vow to dedicate his industrial design thesis at Parsons School of Design to the cause. His main objective: to create a warm, inviting, and grounding space in facilities and hospitals for families. In the YouTube video of his thesis presentation, Ian explains to the audience of professors and peers, “Fundamentally it’s about people feeling comfortable enough when they are visiting that person they are saying goodbye to that it could really be something that is very much about connecting. It will still be hard, intense, and sad but there are opportunities for joy in these moments.”
The Yip Stool Comes to Life
Ian says the Yip Stool serves as a seat of honor for family sitting vigil with their dying loved one.
After some grief-stricken setbacks and a few furniture design trials and errors, Ian ultimately created a stool prototype. As an industrial design student, he also needed to focus on its appearance, functionality, and manufacturability. Since the stool would be utilized in clinical settings, it had to be lightweight, nonporous, water resistant, inflammable and movable, as it would be disinfected and stored away after each use.
Ian used UV-coated plywood for the Yip stool’s foldable frame construction as he felt it exuded more warmth than aluminum or the standard gray putty plastic commonly used in medical settings. The frame is topped with a 16-inch memory foam cushion covered in a polyester nylon blend. There are two wooden handles to carry or move it. Ian also thinks they may also be useful for someone to brace themselves during difficult moments. And folding the stool to pack it away may also help take up the negative space while a family member is saying goodbye to a loved one.
A depiction of how the Yip Stool may eventually be utilized in a hospital setting.
The Future for the Yip Stool
After some initial feedback from different-sized family, friends and death doulas, Ian improved upon his prototype. He has since professionally manufactured the Yip Stool. Although not yet field tested, healthcare professionals have expressed their belief that Ian’s stool could make a positive difference in clinical environments. He is currently waiting to hear from The Mount Sinai Hospital on whether or not they will accept a donation of three Yip Stools to their hospice unit and provide feedback.
Although Ian admits working on this project has been challenging, he is hopeful that his design will improve end-of-life experiences for many families. He says, “Caring is a creative act. We can do better. We can die better.” And with that sentiment, Ian also plans to undergo death doula training sometime in the future.
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Ian, this is a stunning manifestation of the care and love you have, and had, for your dear mother. I hope this finds favour with the facilities they are intended for too! With love and regards, your LV connection.
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Thank you Frank! I’m pleased to say that regardless, one of my stools is currently being used by someone who’s visiting there loved one, and is enabling them to have a different experience than what I had.
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Amen to that – and mazel tov. Your mother would be even more proud of you, and deservedly so.
All the best to you and your family from Canada and your Canadian relatives.
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Thank you Leo! I hope to continue to honor her in my work at the intersection of care and design!
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As a pastor and one who has often been at hospital bedsides offering comfort, anointings, and prayers, this is a creative and useful tool for any chaplain, pastor, death doula, or caregiver. I often find myself standing awkwardly to the side, not wanting to invade a small space, but also wanting to be present for a family. This stool would be a great addition to my visitation kit, allowing me to disinfect between rooms, but also continue providing care and comfort. Thank you!
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Thank you so much for your kind words! I would be honored to have my stool join your visitation kit. It’s become my mission to put an end to the “hovering” and inject some more warmth into clinical spaces.
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My heart goes out to you Ian. Your stool is a lovely gift transformed from your experience of losing your mom. You clearly loved her more than anything. Kisses & hugs to you.
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Thank you so much Lauren! I hope to give more and more people the gifts of closeness and support when visiting their loved ones
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Where can we purchase one? Two? Three?
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Thank you Nancy! I don’t have any currently for sale, however if you reach out to me via my website, I’d be more than happy to discuss!
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They are not in production yet but Ian is working on it and I will be sure to let him know you are interested! Great to hear from you ; – )
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While dying the chair allows me to retain my lifetime of caring for those who care for me, knowing they are comfortable. I appreciate the kindness to each person involved in using the chair and the person who is perhaps lying down while dying.
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Thank you for sensing that kindness, I considered everyone involved in the caring experience throughout my work to the best of my abilities
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Wonderful feedback and so kind of you to offer it to our readers!
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