G COLOUR
, colour has an important part to play when it comes to flooring in care homes Manager for Social Care.
and orientation, triggering the memory and helping to create familiarity. It's important, however, to remember that not everyone sees colour the same way, so this should be combined with other visual signs such as art or other landmarks where possible.
Light Reflectance Values (LRVs) are the best way to measure contrast. Every material has an LRV marked out of 100 points. To meet requirements, there should be at least a 30-point variance in LRVs between adjacent surfaces such as floors and walls.
To ensure people are comfortable with moving from one area to another, it can be preferable to install flooring with similar LRVs and shades throughout key areas. Altro offers a number of flooring solutions that allow this, encouraging more confident movement but minimising the risk of slips by offering the right solution for the right area. This is particularly important when moving from a bedroom or corridor into a bathroom.
The real test for ensuring a contrast or similarity between surfaces is to look at the chosen images in grey-scale. This gives you a true view and shows that even shades that look totally different can appear exactly the same in certain light.
COLOUR FOR WAYFINDING To promote independence, reduce stress and help those with dementia or visual impairment, care homes put great emphasis on way finding.
Different colours may be incorporated into way finding
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Art can have a therapeutic effect on residents, can act as memory prompts for those with dementia and helps to make an area look less clinical and more homely. Altro Whiterock Digiclad can be used to create art without compromising on hygiene. This printed wall sheet enables photographic images or vector art to be used. These can act as memory prompts for wayfinding and designers have the flexibility to choose images that will work best for the residents. It can be used instead of traditional clinical signage with lettering that residents may struggle to read.
The inclusion of artwork can be beneficial for service users, staff and visitors; it can lend a special identity to spaces and a sense of locality (wayfinding). Users may be consulted when selecting artworks; pieces created by therapists and users could be incorporated in the building designs.
PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS -
MINIMISING DISRUPTION If you’re working on a refurbishment or renovation rather than new build, there are more aspects to consider.
Disturbing residents for renovations can cause anxiety for residents and difficulties for staff. We know the stress of moving out of a familiar room can affect some residents badly, to the point where they may damage the temporary surroundings, risking injury as well as trauma.
In these situations, consider adhesive-free floors, which enable a quick turnaround, minimising the amount of time a room is unoccupied or unavailable. There are products for areas that do not need enhanced slip resistance, as well as safety options for areas with a high slip risk.
www.altro.co.uk/care-homes HEALTHCARE | 35
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