Dementia care
holding the purse strings who ought to know better. Surely, if they knew how inappropriate some of these designs are, they would not sanction them. It is nothing short of bewildering when a care home enthusiastically publicises its new mural installation that looks utterly ridiculous and will not have the desired effect for the home or provide residents with any benefits. As is the way of the world, negative comments can give good ideas a bad name. In certain quarters once perceived as authoritative, the whole concept of murals is called into question receiving blanket criticism that is neither warranted nor helpful. If someone does not like bananas they will not say they do not like food.
Applying the same analogy to murals: a design might not be very good, but that does not mean murals are not a great idea. Those who should know better should extol the virtues of good design and point out the pitfalls, because it really matters.
Many people can be missing good experiences when a really useful medium is dismissed in this way. People looking for reliable guidance will be put off implementing some really effective strategies, and residents will miss out on the pleasure and stimulation they can bring. I find that really sad. If you think I am overplaying the importance of the environment, please consider this: I have been dedicated to this for a number of years and I am confident I understand why I do this work. Yet I was knocked sideways a few months ago when my partner - a dementia care specialist of 30 years -
pointed out something I believe everyone involved in dementia care should keep in the back of their minds. She said that for care home residents living with dementia “it’s the last chance in life they have to enjoy something”. If care home design is approached with this as a mantra, I suggest outcomes will be very different.
Enough negativity! I would love every care home in Britain to employ me to pep up their environments but I can at least share some fundamentals of good design that are crucial to something being really effective. Wherever you want to source your products at least you can ensure some basic errors are avoided and you do not end up wasting your money.
Top tips for doing it better Here is my non-exhaustive list of some basic tips that will help avoid care home carbuncles and ensure your home will benefit from investment in the surroundings.
Do not use something simply because it is cheap. It is important that products are safe and durable, otherwise they will be there one minute and gone the next. That will only cause confusion. This applies particularly to signage: it is an important support tool that needs to be reliable. There are exceptions of course. If you are going to use something like flowers or trinkets then these should be expected to be very mobile and require replenishing from time to time. I have never visited a pub to look at pictures of beer. There is nothing positive in creating false realities, or whatever you like to call them, so make things real. A typically bad example is creating a mural with shop windows full of desirable yet unattainable goods. It is not going to be helpful to anyone. Creating images with perspective is another really bad idea, unless
you want to encourage residents to fall over.
Carefully assembled artwork can create a wealth of interest and opportunities for engagement. Incorporating a themed memory box will enhance content still further. This example has a universal theme with images of local hospitals making it geographically specific and personally relevant.
Another common error is to pictorially represent items such as animals, flowers, bottles, food and so on. Failing to use real objects is probably a bit lazy but also disrespects residents’ intelligence. Dementia may well cause cognitive changes but it does not suddenly make a person stupid.
Why on Earth would anyone put in a pub-style bar with only pictures of drinks and shelves and glasses? If you have got
January 2021 •
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com
A well-assembled themed memory box can be created around virtually any topic becoming a visually stimulating, pint- sized point of interest with a wealth of reminiscence prompts.
budget to invest and this is the best you can do, then do something else. Otherwise, build a bar and get some pumps, tables, beer mats, drinks posters, some pub games, paint the walls, buy some unbreakable glassware, and let residents, families and friends enjoy a drink and a chat. Where is the value in creating a reminder of something enjoyable and then not deliver actual experience? Make it real! Further to the points above, murals should only be there to set a scene. To enhance an experience rather than being the experience in itself. Less is more! The less you put into the mural in favour of enhancing it with ‘real stuff’, the more effective it will be. When it comes to signage, make sure the product is robust, otherwise it will be a case of here today, gone tomorrow. Use pictures rather than symbols. Text should be clear and contrast is key. Invest time and effort in filling the environment with things to do and places to go, and make sure the content is relevant to the population. Avoid anything generic or meaningless. Wall and floor space are valuable commodities filled with potential.
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