FURNITURE & INTERIORS Oh Happy Days
Interiors Designed to Inspire Gillian Hesketh, MD of Happy Days Dementia Workshop & Nostalgic Design, has seen how nostalgic settings can benefit social well-being. She explains how themed care home interior design can make a real difference to resident’s daily lives.
There may be some controversy regarding themed rooms in residential and dementia care environments. Like Marmite, they’re not for everyone but I have seen firsthand how nostalgic settings, such as themed rooms and interactive displays, can benefit individuals in hospitals and residential and dementia care homes.
We all know there’s nothing better than fresh air for feeling good, but when residents, patients or people living with dementia can’t get outside, creating the outdoors-indoors alongside nostalgic environments is a great alternative.
The Care Quality Commission website states: “Services will have a strong, visible person-centred culture, service users will value their relationships with the staff team and feel that they ‘often go the extra mile’ for them, and staff will be highly motivated and
Five Cost-effective Pointers to Uplift Your Care Home
1. Remove faded pictures.
2. Remove jaded silk flowers and any chipped, dull or faded ornaments.
3. Tidy and repair all games, books, jigsaws, open storage shelving.
4. Enjoy the views - move chairs to view outdoors or gardens.
5. Replace any bland wall art with interesting images.
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inspired to provide care that is kind and compassionate.”
Creating nostalgic environments shows CQC inspectors your commitment to community spirit and enriched social care, as you can involve care teams, residents and families in the re- decorating or re-designing process.
A Trip Down Memory Lane Happy Days knows how important it is to create displays influenced by nature. Imagine a glorious garden room with subtle background colours, baskets of flowers, memorabilia and cheery garden pictures or a potting shed to inspire and relax residents. A reminiscence room, local pub or village store setting can also help residents to unwind and create a different environment for those in the care home to visit.
Recently we installed a nostalgic sweet shop in Bruce Lodge care home, a Stockport Borough Care Ltd property, a 47 bed facility catering for residents living with dementia. The shop, known as Mr Bruce’s Sweet Shop, has provided a community space for the residents and incorporated restored shop counters, replica sweet containers and curiosities amongst the traditional equipment. The walls have been lined with Toblerone, Cadburys and Rowntree images which surround a seating area where residents and visitors often gather.
Interiors to Inform Directional, informative signage is also a necessary addition to any care
“Meaningful
environments provide a feel-good-factor for all involved and are central to enriching
well-being throughout all care services.”
home, and is recommended by the CQC. Food related images can direct people to dining rooms and nature related pictures can help lead people to the garden and sun
lounge.Colourful door signs can brighten up long corridors and assist personal room recognition. Signage doesn’t have to be garish and can often provide a luxury feel to care home interiors.
Whilst there’s a recent trend towards enjoying the present and placing an emphasis on healthy living, music and exercise, there is always a place to enjoy a trip down memory lane.
Meaningful environments provide a feel-good-factor for all involved and is central to enriching well-being throughout all care services.
www.dementiaworkshop.co.uk www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
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