Dementia care design


The impact of artwork on dementia residents


Richard Lewis, managing director and owner of artwork consultants Portobello Art, brings 15 years of experience of supplying artwork to care homes to offer advice on what works best for dementia residents in public areas


We all understand that moving into a care home is a big lifestyle change for anybody who has been used to living in their own home but for somebody with dementia it can add to the confusion and disorientation they are already experiencing. That is why we now expect care


homes to be not just safe but also enjoyable places to live. They should be homely environments that meet every resident's needs to enable them to live happy, fulfilled and comfortable lives. Years ago, artwork was little more than


an afterthought but it has grown to become a key consideration in the design scheme of health and care environments - especially interiors intended for people suffering from dementia. It is often argued dementia residents


lack the cognitive skills necessary to appreciate their surroundings. That is not to say however they do not possess the skills to passively experience good design and the positive emotions it can bring. My overarching piece of advice - for all


senior housing solutions from assisted living to nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities - is to make the environment as comfortable, familiar and non- institutional as possible. Nobody wants to live in a sterile, hospital-like setting.


Painting the picture Using artwork as an integral part of design can offer lasting benefits for people with dementia. We know art stimulates the senses and also gives us something to talk about in any setting. Yet art therapy is even more beneficial in dementia care homes helping to create a familiar and therapeutic environment but at the same time maintaining a relaxed and homely atmosphere. Portobello Art has been in the art, print


and framing trade for over 30 years and has over 15 years of experience of supplying artwork to care homes and hotels across the UK. With our technical expertise and in-house design capabilities, we offer a complete artwork consultancy service from concept and design right through to manufacture and installation. We at Portobello understand only too


well the specific requirements for dementia care homes, so we can give advice on what images and colours would work best for any public areas throughout the home. Portobello Art recently completed


their first project for Precious Homes in Peterborough in tandem with care home commissioning consultant Penny Green of Percia Solutions.


"Artwork is helpful at so many


different levels to the well being of residents. The impact can be profoundly personal in helping residents to recall different times in their lives and also help create a feeling of being at home in their surroundings,” says Penny. “For people that may be on a visual or


memory loss journey, art can help to orientate them in a space, define the area and its use, or draw a resident to a destination without the need for more obvious signage,” she adds.


Images that stimulate or soothe? There is a lot of conflicting information out there regarding the use of images that stimulate versus images that soothe. In truth, the answer is that both are required - in the right places in particular areas around the home. It just depends upon the residents that live there. Just as no two people are alike, no two


residents with dementia are alike either as they can be in varying stages of dementia and may often have different needs for different times of the day. So, bright and bold colours can be used in one area - maybe for day rooms - and soothing pastels and earth tones in cozy lounges for the end of the day. In general, people in the initial stages of


dementia will react better in environments that stimulate their cognitive functions. They need plenty of things to do and look at while they are walking along the hallways or staring at the walls. Beautiful murals not only transform


memory care hallways, they also serve as landmarks to help residents navigate from one area to another. The image shown left is a prime


example of this and shows a recent project completed by Portobello in a Cygnet care home where one of their in-house artists actually went on site to paint murals onto the corridor walls. It is a very simple design with bright colours,


30 www.thecarehomeenvironment.com• February 2021


Precious Homes, Peterborough/Percia Solutions/Portobello Art

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