Interior design
What’s next? Interior designintheCovidcontext
Care home interior design expert Jacqui Smith, director of Sussex-based consultancy HomeSmiths, explores how Covid-19 may change the look and feel of residential care properties
On one of HomeSmiths’ first post- lockdown visits to a care home, I was interested to hear from my client on how she felt her care home environment would need to change. Her feeling was that she still very much wanted the home to feel like home and her concern was that, in the spirit of infection control, by moving towards finishes and furnishings more in line with hospital requirements, the home would become too clinical. Of course, interior design starts with considering who uses the space, what they use it for and - to me, this is critical - how do we want them to feel? Residents, carers and visitors want to feel safe - this is incredibly important. Yet the care environment will still need to be relatable and domestic in aesthetic. It also needs to support how we need to do things, as we adapt to living with current and future threats of a pandemic. Physical as well as social needs still need to be met. Carers still need to be able to deliver person-centred care.
Visitor rooms
During the pandemic, it has been widely recognised that having to go without face-to-face visits from loved ones has had a massive impact on resident mental health and wellbeing. Residents living with dementia are likely to be dealing with
disruption to their normal routine, a reduction in cognitive stimulation, increased levels of anxiety and a real sense of being abandoned. While the summer months have enabled some operators to facilitate garden visits from loved ones, this will not of course be practical in a cold, wet November. Dedicated, inviting yet easy to clean visitor rooms will become more important.
For these visits, how people move through the care home environment will need to be considered with visitor spaces close to entrances or external dedicated summer houses or similar. While hygiene has always been a focus, I am hearing – unsurprisingly - that many operators are looking at technology to protect themselves from future epidemics. With good hand hygiene playing such a key role in controlling the spread of viruses such as Covid-19, ultraviolet light boxes are being introduced into reception areas of some homes and
Homes need to be able to adapt to suit the needs of residents at any given moment and accommodate care teams to look after those taken ill
November 2020 •
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com
additional, more easily accessible hand washing facilities are being considered.
Wall coverings
I was recently asked by a client whether I would still be specifying wall coverings in their next project. To which I replied, yes. Wallcoverings really enhance a space, providing texture and interest. I have long been a fan of Tektura since all of their fabric-backed wallcoverings contain an antimicrobial additive that can be cleaned with diluted bleach, isopropyl alcohol and Dettol, giving operators the ability to have a more domestic look to their home, but one that is easy to clean.
They also offer an extra stain resistant range, an anti-microbial surface which can be cleaned with stronger solvents, such as undiluted bleach. Their P3TEC Advanced Wall Protection is also highly resistant to chemicals, abrasion and impact.
Furniture selection
When selecting furniture, I wonder whether sofas will lose their appeal. Keen to avoid a room of chairs, I like to use a combination of seating in lounges but sofas by their nature encourage close contact.
Will upholstery vinyls become more of a requirement in certain areas and will
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