A HELPING HAND
John Mellor, Polyflor’s Market Manager for safety flooring, explains why installing a floorcovering that embodies dementia-friendly design principles is becoming increasingly important for health and social care interiors.
According to the Alzheimer’s Society, more than 850,000 people are currently living with dementia in the UK and the rate of diagnosis is rising. It is therefore vitally important that healthcare buildings and care homes meet inclusive design requirements and contribute to an improved quality of life for those living with dementia. Implementing dementia-friendly design principles in new or refurbished facilities will be beneficial in the longer term, ensuring flexibility in design, prolonging the life cycle of a building and contributing to a more peaceful environment for residents and patients.
Along with appropriate acoustics, lighting and signage to aid navigation, floor and walls are integral components of an interior space that can help reduce anxiety and stress for those with dementia. If feeling more relaxed and comfortable because of the interior environment surrounding them, residents and patients are also less likely to be disorientated and potentially suffer a fall or accident.
Dementia-friendly flooring is appropriate for a range of diverse settings including social housing, sheltered or extra care housing, dementia hubs and respite care, day centres, hospitals, hospices, rehabilitation and intermediate care facilities as well as residential care and nursing home environments.
When selecting a floorcovering for a dementia-friendly space it is important to remember that one in three people diagnosed with dementia will have significant sight loss including reduction of peripheral vision and changes to colour vision, with large proportions of the rest having deteriorating sight through normal ageing. This is why it is incredibly important to consider the appearance of a floorcovering and how this might be perceived by someone with dementia, as well as its performance and slip resistant qualities.
28 | HEALTHCARE
Recently, Polyflor has worked closely with The University of Salford to develop some new dementia-friendly flooring principles to assist those working on healthcare projects. These principles cross reference with The Department of Health HBN 08-02 (2015) document and have been discussed and agreed with The Salford Dementia Associates, a group of people who are living with or caring for someone with dementia.
Vinyl flooring is well recognised as a flooring type used regularly within healthcare environments due to its easy clean properties and breadth of product choice, including realistic reproductions of natural materials such as wood and stone. These type of effects were previously only offered in luxury vinyl tile collections, but are now available as sheet vinyl products as well as decorative safety flooring ranges which offer sustainable wet slip resistance. When specifying vinyl flooring for different areas of dementia-friendly environments, operators and contractors need to choose flooring that meets the right technical specification for the area where it is being used in and can provide sustainable performance.
Polyflor's wide array of flooring options include products that meet the dementia-friendly flooring principles, although it isn't as simple as just 'badging' a whole product range as dementia-friendly and assuming that's enough. For example, specific design effects within the same range may be more suitable than others. It is all about offering transparency and helpful guidance in terms of product choice in order for customers to make an informed decision.
Polyflor’s link with the University of Salford extends further with our partner status in their International Dementia Design Network, which seeks to provide a forum for collaboration in global dementia design research, innovation and education.
Polyflor is also a local member of the Dementia Action Alliance which is committed to transforming the lives of people with dementia and their carers.
Future-proofing healthcare environments is essential, as more people are living with dementia and we know that numbers are set to rise as the years go by. Interiors need to be designed with this in mind and the approach needs to be holistic to involve every design element, helping those living with dementia to feel as comfortable as possible.
For further information about dementia- friendly flooring principles, you can find our Specialist Care brochure at
http://dementia.polyflor.com.
www.polyflor.com
The following aspects of flooring design and specification are just examples of the developed principles which can help those with dementia to feel more at ease.
• Use a matte flooring as shiny or glossy surfaces can cause glare and give the illusion that the floor is wet or slippery, which can cause confusion and agitation. Products with sparkle or shimmer can also make the floor look wet.
• Choose a floor without highly contrasting secondary flecks and speckles, as someone with dementia could see these as something to pick up off the ground. Tonal flecks or solid colour designs are preferable.
• The use of subtle effects that replicate natural outdoor materials such as wood and stone promotes a homely feel that people living with dementia are more familiar with and can help aid reminiscence.
• Using floors featuring various patterns, colours and textures should be avoided as this can lead to confusion and increased aggravation in those living with dementia. Flooring which contributes to sensory overload can confuse the eye and cause a
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