ROLLING OUT A W What are the key considerations when specifying flooring for a care facility and w
First impressions are extremely important especially when it comes to selecting a care home. In 2017, The Financial Times reported that 44% of care home residents were fully self-funded meaning the expectations of residents and their families for the standards of accommodation had changed. They now seek a style and finish which is more accustomed with a high-end hotel.
With this in mind, interior designers are increasingly being engaged to work on the development and refurbishment of residential care homes to ensure they achieve a look and feel that will create that ‘wow’ factor and therefore attract the fee- paying resident.
As an established flooring manufacturer for the care sector, danfloor uk has seen an increase in demand for something different when it comes to carpet design. Although there is still call for tonal carpet designs in certain areas of a care establishment, many homes are moving towards patterned carpets and modern twists on traditional designs such as plaids for reception areas and communal living spaces”.
Popular colour choices, when It comes to carpets, include the selection of greys and pastel colours. The introduction of our greys and tonal blues across our healthcare collection have been extremely popular, especially within our new Evolution Collection.
Although care settings have moved away from the traditional look and feel of a care home, many homes accommodate residents with complex needs such as dementia and Alzheimer’s which means certain design principles and considerations have to be adhered to, especially with growing evidence suggesting that well-designed interiors can greatly enhance the lives of such residents.
30 | CARE FACILITIES
Guidelines developed from recent studies highlight the importance of colour and contrast, good lighting and a person-centred approached when it comes to designing interiors for those with visual- perceptual difficulties as a result of living with dementia.
A common challenge faced by interior designers when working in communal residential settings is addressing a ‘multi-client’ brief. Stirling University concludes that a person-centred approach should be at the heart of a service provider’s philosophy, focusing on the needs of the individual. Designers are able to address resident’s needs more fully in areas like bedrooms but in communal areas it is more difficult and this is where inclusive yet flexible design should be considered.
LIGHT REFLECTANCE VALUES Light Reflectance Value (LRV), is a measure of the percentage of visible and usable light that is reflected from a surface when illuminated by a light source. LRV’s are particularly important when designing interiors that are suitable for the disabled and for those who are visually impaired.
Certain surfaces and features are required to contrast visually within their surroundings to aid navigation and by equating colour with an LRV makes this achievable. Current guidance and Code of Practice BS 8300-2:2018 states that adequate visual contrast is provided if the LRV of the contrasting areas differ by at least 30 points.
Similarly, if you want to ensure a resident perceives no change in colour from one surface to another, which enables stress- free transition from one room to another for example the bedroom to the bathroom, then the flooring colours and any joining strips ideally need to be within eight points.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
