Interior design


Colour contrast makes hand rails easier to see


gradual between spaces will make for a more comfortable transition. Fitting dimmer switches to lights enables individuals to adjust to their comfort and fitting a number of plug sockets around a room allows for flexible task lighting as lamps can be moved. Light fittings with diffusers are now widely used in care homes and enable spaces to be well lit without glare. It’s worth mentioning that sudden changes in light levels from room to room can also be an issue for care staff, causing headaches, so good lighting for residents benefits everyone. Glare can also be an issue with natural light, so it’s worth considering fitting sun filtering roller blinds at windows where this might be the case. As well as direct glare (from a light source) indirect glare can also be a problem. Avoid high gloss finishes such as polished metals and gloss tiles, since when they reflect the sunlight, it can be quite disabling for a person with impaired vision. Televisions and computer screens can cause a similar reflection, so in the context of other light sources should be positioned with care. Bright sunlight reflecting off a polished surface such as a gloss tile can also cause glare and additionally take on a completely different aesthetic and look wet, which for somebody with dementia could cause confusion and stress. As our eyes age, the lenses become more yellow and certain colours are harder to see, notably those on the green and blue spectrum. Higher saturation, warmer hues work well for people with


impaired vision. Using oranges, reds and aubergines against neutrals will ensure that the scheme offers plenty of colour contrast and promotes safe navigation of the room.


An increased likelihood of trips and falls is associated with sight loss. The impact of a fall is not just physical; fear of another fall can stop people from going out, leading to isolation, which can in turn exacerbate cognitive decline. Last year, through a combination of my own stupidity at not switching on a light, rushing when I should have been taking my time and something being left on the floor, I completely lost my footing in our tiled utility room and ended up flat on the floor with a fractured wrist, a bump to the head and grazes and bruises. At the time I was 48 and remember reflecting on how shaken I was and also how it would be so much more frightening and destabilising for someone 30-40 years older than me.


Way finding


To further guard against falls, furniture should be positioned in a logical and uncluttered manner. Ensuring a simple route between bed and toilet to enable people to navigate safely at night is important. Sliding doors can be helpful on wardrobes and also kitchens to prevent people from walking into an open door. Easy to do; I have done so many times since I do not see an open door on my left until I have made contact with it. Corridor spaces in care homes need


To further guard against falls, furniture should be positioned in a logical and uncluttered manner


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to encourage people to venture from their rooms to social spaces. Getting from a bedroom to a communal lounge will be made easier for someone with a visual impairment if they know they can make the journey safely. Colour contrast comes into play again here with easy to see hand rails and floors that contrast with the skirting. Tactile markers at the end of hand rails can provide additional support to someone with sight loss, making it clear where the rail ends. Incorporating resting places along a corridor can offer residents a place to catch their breath and encourages social interaction that in turn will address isolation, which many studies show can hasten cognitive decline. Way finding should be clear but not over the top as this can be confusing. People navigate using colour and objects more than words. Activity spaces within corridors can provide a visual clue as to where a person is as well as an attractive and appealing destination, again encouraging mobility. Depending on the type of visual impairment a person has, their field of vision will be restricted in different ways. Someone with peripheral vision loss will not see things on their far left or right, so people and objects can appear to spring from nowhere making it all too easy to walk into doors and furniture, especially in unfamiliar environments. Again colour contrast helps enormously, be it furniture contrasting with the floor or doors contrasting with the architrave.


Conclusion


Someone with a condition that affects the macular - centre of the visual field - loses not only the ability to clearly see what is in front of them, but the detail that goes with central vision. Seeing food on a plate can be a problem, which


www.thecarehomeenvironment.com • January 2018


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