New build
to achieve good retention rates: “You look after staff, you keep staff”, she said, adding that a home’s design should support the people delivering care as well as those receiving it.
Digital and environmental choices Some of the home’s innovations are digital; others are building systems intended to improve comfort and reduce energy use. Ms Komuhangi said Hornchurch is all-electric, uses solar panels and has no gas. Electricity use is monitored, and lighting is designed to dim at certain times or switch off in offices when spaces are not in use. Every room and area has air conditioning,
which the team described as a first across Signature’s homes. The design also includes acoustic measures intended to support uninterrupted sleep. On the care side, the home uses
computerised care plans and medication records, and uses the ‘Pain Chek’ system that monitors residents for signs of pain through facial expression, which Ms Komuhangi said is particularly useful for those who may not be able to explain how they’re feeling. Staff can also use it to check whether treatment has helped. Meanwhile a digital display is planned
to show menus, activities and the duty manager on shift, and the team said they also hope to be able to record walking activity in the sensory gardens and include it in care planning in the future.
Everyday wellbeing Taken together, the design, care model and community engagement at Hornchurch reflect an effort to make everyday wellbeing part of the fabric of the home, with its gardens, flexible communal areas, wellness facilities and digital systems intended to be used as tools to help residents maintain routines, interests and connections while supporting staff to deliver personalised care. With shifting attitudes and expectations
of what good care looks like as new generations become responsible for planning, funding, using and designing services, this approach seems eminently sensible. As Ms Westwood said, the focus has
shifted towards providing “rest and renewal”. This is much more than a clever marketing phrase. It represents an offer that new generations focused on promoting longevity – living healthier and more active lives for longer – are likely to be keen to get behind. n
November 2026
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