Care trends
When selecting colour schemes for your care home, you need to be considerate of these factors and try to accommodate for residents who may have dementia or are even colourblind. If you are planning a space to help those living with dementia, consider a small number of colours that slightly contrast with one-another to help residents identify certain features such as light switches and door handles. This will ensure they can freely navigate their way around and recognise interactive elements much easier.
Depending on the size of your care home,
you may have multiple spaces designed for different activities, whether that be eating, relaxing, socialising, and so on. Choosing colours to create a certain atmosphere will help create a cohesive and memorable scheme.
To create a calm atmosphere, choose soft blues, greens, and natural tones such as brown and cream. To create a cheery atmosphere for a social room, yellows, oranges, and pinks create a sense of energy, and combined with natural light can help brighten spaces without additional artificial lights.
Sensory-friendly design
The sensory element of design should also be taken into consideration, as sensory deprivation can become a genuine effect of living with dementia – as can the opposite. People living with dementia can both experience a lack of stimulation and an overload which can impact their health and behaviour.
Planning a care home that caters for both of these situations can help improve residents’ physical and mental health. When it comes to interior design, cost- effective solutions such as non-slip flooring will prevent unexpected trips and falls,
and to provide comfort, opting for soft and textured furnishings will make a space feel comfortable and safe.
Creating sensory rooms that are calm and quiet and feature personal belongings as well as familiar features that individuals can associate with home is a fantastic way to connect residents and families away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the care home. Sensory-friendly design is not just for those with dementia – all residents of a care home will benefit from social and communal rooms that have been designed to relax, comfort, and entertain.
Wayfinding and accessibility As residents in a care home may suffer from some sort of cognitive confusion or memory loss, navigation and wayfinding can be an issue. It is therefore important to include clear signage and visual cues in your design, such as colour-coded corridors or themed areas. This can make it much easier for residents to find their way around, and promotes independence. In communal spaces, you can encourage residents to connect and engage through a flexible design that can accommodate a number of different activities, whether these are group exercises or quiet reading. The arrangement of furniture can help
to promote communication and build relationships in order to reduce any feelings of isolation. A nuanced approach is needed in order to prioritise safety, familiarity, and sensory stimulation. This can include memory aids such as memory boxes outside residents’ rooms to trigger recognition, and open floor plans to minimise any barriers for movement and visibility. Outdoor spaces should allow for safe exploration, and there should be acoustic treatments and the strategic placement of quiet rooms to help mitigate any sensory overload.
Our approach
A great number of care homes are now embracing innovative design solutions to help cater to residents needs and offer better levels of care. These include multi- sensory rooms that can provide calming and stimulating environments, and socially inclusive areas like cafes, libraries, and hobby rooms to help promote interaction amongst residents, visitors, and staff. In addition, many homes also incorporate multipurpose facilities that can be adapted to different uses, enabling them to host everything from exercise classes to family gatherings.
Mariposa Care is completely committed
to excellence in care home design through our Wellbeing by Design initiative, and we have developed bespoke interior decor schemes that are tailored for bedrooms and communal areas across all of their homes. These schemes have allowed us to blend a contemporary style with a homely feel to resonate with the tastes of modern residents.
We are also introducing industry-leading facilities that have been designed for those living with dementia and elderly care. For example, in our Derwent Care Home, new facilities have been designed in order to ‘bring the outdoors in’ so that residents can enjoy activities and experiences without leaving the comfort of the home or having their activities curtailed by the weather. This has led to residents feeling much happier and more engaged thanks to the spaces that are able to mimic those familiar outdoor environments. At Sovereign Lodge, the Potting Shed Cafe has proved to be a tremendous success as a welcoming space where residents and families can socialise. This unique addition is now a hub of social activity that has enhanced the experiences of the residents and those who come to visit them.
May 2025
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