Interior design
Why we needed a care interiors information hub
Park Grove Design director Lori Pinkerton-Rolet has established an international online information hub about care home interiors. Here, Lori explains why she took it upon herself to create the Third Age Design hub and what users can expect to see in the coming months
The concept of an information hub related specifically to care, retirement and dementia interiors was a slow burn that accelerated in 2020 as the need for easily accessible data became more apparent during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Such a hub became available last month through the Third Age Design website. Back in 2017, I was asked by
AkzoNobel, owners of Dulux, to assemble existing international research on colour for the care sector - and for dementia - into a single report. The breadth of this topic is obviously enormous, and this is merely a single topic relating to care home environments. What other information should
owners, operators, architects, designers, and students be aware of, and where can this information be found? A great deal of research has been
conducted into all aspects of care design. The universities of Sterling, Newcastle and Hertfordshire are particularly well-respected in the field. However, there a wider breadth of available information. This can only be accessed via
individual academic portals to which you must subscribe. Once you have been granted access, you will find short abstracts referencing specific topics, but to download these each individual paper must be paid for. Then, what is downloaded may or may not be the information you were seeking to begin with. Not only is this process time-
consuming, but it is also expensive. Many busy design and architectural
practices simply do not have the resources to continuously check such resources. While academic institutions are
clearly entitled to a revenue stream related to their research output, the very people who could use the data to benefit those in care are unlikely to see much of it. Put simply, the information does not go full circle. Further, educational institutions
generally hold the intellectual property for this research, so it cannot simply be republished to foster dialogue and debate. Individual researchers can however discuss their work. Potential users then directed to the portal so relevant information can be downloaded. In this way the data can be unlocked,
We are still missing the opportunity to delve into very specific topics in any detail, to be able to converse about them, to argue, and to agree
February 2021 •
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com
the relevant institution is remunerated, and the end-user gains valuable insights into the latest sector research and information. In 2021, the obvious tool for this dialogue is a free podcast with supporting links and additional information. This is central to the hub concept.
International insights Before the pandemic, I was a frequent traveller. As a self-proclaimed care design nerd, my trips usually involve at least one visit to a local facility to gather information on why they have a particular interior offering. The most illuminating to date was a
2018 sabbatical to Japan where elderly citizens make up nearly 29 per cent of the overall population and where the birth rate has been a steadily dropping macro-trend. Many Western countries also have a steadily lower birth rate with the Office for National Statistics showing that the UK is no exception. The number of people over 65 years of age is rising steadily. Of the six Japanese care homes
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©Royal Star & Garter
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