Care home interiors
maximising natural light where possible is key. When it comes to planning the location of artificial light sources, sufficient light levels are needed in the areas where specific tasks are undertaken. This means that a mix of task-specific lighting and increased overall ambient lighting will ensure the bathroom is sufficiently lit. According to a lighting guide prepared
by AKW and occupational therapists from The OT Service, people with both sight loss and dementia benefit from increased light levels in the bathroom of 600-700 lumens per square metres for general lighting and 700-800 lumens per square metres for task lighting.
What sort of products are available? There are a wide range of more dementia- friendly bathroom products available, to help those designing and installing bathrooms in care homes. Here follows what to look out for when trying to decide if a product is actually dementia-friendly or not.
Showers Choose a thermostatic care shower to guarantee a safe and stable temperature and ideally choose a shower with easy to use and familiar controls. To avoid accidental flooding, opt for one that automatically shuts-down after 30 minutes use. Try to avoid using rain head (overhead deluge) shower heads as these can cause fright to the user. It also helps if a person with dementia can see where the water is coming from and that they can control its flow. With ease of control in mind, ensure the shower has controls that are visible against the shower body, i.e. the controls should be a contrasting colour. For ultimate safety, choose a shower
that has a riser rail that also acts as a grab rail and ideally choose one with a dark colour riser/grab rail - e.g. dark blue or grey - so that it clearly contrasts with the wall behind it. AKW’s SmartCare Lever electric care shower is BEAB Care- approved and is the first electric shower to be accredited by the DSDC (Dementia Services Development Centre).
Toilets and basins As mentioned previously, the toilet seat needs to be a different colour to the pan and cistern, so the user can easily locate
it. When it comes to the toilet flush, choose a more familiar lever style, rather than push button or infra-red options. Traditional styling is key for basins too,
so opt for crosshead taps rather than lever ones. AKW’s raised height toilet has an intuitive to use flush handle, lugs under the seat rim to enable stability if side- transferring from a wheelchair and a toilet seat in a strong contrast colour.
Shower screens and curtains Ideally, choose PET plastic safety screens not safety glass, as being made of a softer material they reduce the likelihood of impact injury should they be fallen against. As well as offering more dignity if a carer needs to stay in the bathroom, frosted screens are also ideal as they eradicate confusing reflections for the user. If a shower curtain is being used, ensure
it is a different colour to the walls and floor and, as mentioned previously, ensure the curtain fabric is breathable to avoid the danger of suffocation if the curtain is pulled down in a fall. AKW’s shower curtain is made from breathable fabric and AKW’s range of PET plastic shower screens have frosted panels to promote dignity and minimise reflection issues.
Doors and locks Someone with dementia may lock themselves in and panic or they may fall, and a locked door can delay carers being able to reach them. With this in mind, the door to the
bathroom should open outwards or be fitted with a two-way hinge, in case the person falls against the door blocking access to them. Also, the door into the bathroom needs to contrast with the walls on both sides. Finally, remember that when it comes
to signage for communal bathroom facilities. This needs to include words and pictures, as some people may recognise the words and others may recognise the pictures.
Heating It is important in care home bathrooms to provide extra heating, as tasks take longer to complete than for more able users. LST radiators, such as the AKW LST electric towel warmer, are ideal for care home environments as they provide touch-safe towel warming. AKW also offers electric and central heating radiators as well as underfloor heating solutions.
October 2021 •
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com
Conclusion A dementia-friendly bathroom is not just about highlighting risk areas and resolving issues, but it is about promoting independence. With a well-designed bathroom space, a person’s wellbeing and confidence are boosted, enabling them to engage more readily in day-to- day activities in a high-risk space. With a little time and investment,
dementia-friendly bathrooms have the potential to promote independence, as well as to help reduce accidents in care homes across the UK. To find out more download AKW’s Creating Dementia- Friendly Bathrooms guide from www.
akw-ltd.co.uk.
References 1. Alzheimer’s Society, Facts for the media,
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-us/ news-and-media/facts-media.
2. World Health Organization, A Global Report on Falls Prevention, 2007,
https://www.who.int/ ageing/projects/1.Epidemiology%20of%20 falls%20in%20older%20age.pdf.
TCHE
Stuart Reynolds
Stuart Reynolds is the head of product and marketing at AKW, a manufacturer and supplier of accessible bathrooms and kitchens. With 17 years of experience working in the arena of product management and marketing, Stuart has worked in a range of sectors including consumer electronics and building products. With specialities in new product development, category management and product marketing, he is well versed in monitoring consumer trends and aligning products to suit.
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