Michael Graves Design creates "visually appealing" medical gear for CVS

American studio Michael Graves Design has created a collection of home healthcare products for a major US pharmacy that is meant to "enhance people's lives with moments of joy".

The collection, called CVS Health by Michael Graves Design, features six items that fall into one of two categories – mobility or bath safety. The products include a shower chair designed to look like real furniture and a foldable walker.

Michael Graves Design, which was founded by AIA Gold Medal-winning architect Michael Graves, began the design process with a research phase that included interviews and in-house observations with users, caregivers and clinicians.

That research informed the design of the final products, which are intended to be both attractive and highly functional – a rarity in the world of home medical equipment.

"We are reinventing the home healthcare category with products that are research-insight driven, visually appealing, full of character and purpose, and that enhance people's lives with moments of joy," said the New Jersey-based studio.

The products help elevate the "quality and dignity that consumers should expect", said design principal Donald Strum.

"We are thrilled by the collaboration and the powerful change it will bring to disabled people, elders and the people who provide care for all of us."

Among the bathroom products is a shower chair that converts to a stool. It features a rustproof aluminum frame, a contoured seat that wicks away water, a removable backrest, and a built-in holder for a shower sprayer.

The Convertible Shower Chair & Stool is designed to mimic "actual furniture", and to blend with contemporary bathroom finishes and materials.

The bath line also includes a 3-in-1 Comfort Commode that is suitable for a bedroom, living room or bathroom. It includes swing-away armrests and an extra-wide lid that enables the piece to be used as a chair.

Also in the bath line is the Raised Toilet Seat with a quick-locking mechanism that enables it to be connected and removed without the use of tools.

For the mobility line, the team conceived the Easy Fold Travel Walker. This has two wheels and a grip that angles down toward the front, helping improve the user's posture and wrist comfort. Other features include integrated brakes and easy height adjustment, along with a foldable design.

"Its unique centre column chassis looks cool, and also facilitates easier fold, better balanced carry and easier storage," the team said.

The other mobility aids are the C Grip Cane, which has a crescent-shaped handle, and the Folding Cane, which is easy to store and has magnets that keep it securely folded up.

In addition to being lightweight and height adjustable, both canes feature square-shaped shafts made of aluminium and two interchangeable feet. They are offered in several colours.

The healthcare products align with the spirit of Michael Graves Design, which was founded in 1964 by Graves, who died in 2015 at the age of 80.

In addition to noted architectural works such as Oregon's Portland Building, Graves designed mass consumer products for companies such as Alessi, Target and JC Penney.

After Graves became paralysed in 2003 due to an infection, he adapted his Princeton, New Jersey, home for life in a wheelchair.

Graves became an advocate for accessible design and created related products, such wheelchairs and hospital furnishings. His aim was to improve healthcare and the caregiving experience through design.

"Michael became a passionate voice among the disabled and used the power of design to improve healthcare experiences for patients, families and clinicians," his firm said.

CVS – one of the top American pharmacies – said it selected Michael Graves Design because it was a "design for all" pioneer that was "uniquely qualified to design transformative home healthcare products".

Other medical products include Flow X by Pearson Lloyd, a stairlift for the home that is meant to be aesthetically appealing, and a lightweight wheelchair by Phoenix Instinct that uses smart technology to improve its functionality.

The photography is by CVS Pharmacy.

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