Dementia design


Designing a care home for those living with dementia


Elizabeth Butcher, head of marketing at care home supplier Blueleaf Care, explains that while designing a safe physical environment for people living with dementia might be challenging, it is nonetheless essential


The number of people living with dementia is rising as the population ages. Today, 80 per cent of care home residents have some form of dementia, and around 70 per cent have Alzheimer’s. There is a shortage of dementia beds and specific rooms in the care home market. This likely contributes to two-thirds of people living with dementia being rushed to hospital following an avoidable accident and injury. With the government estimating around 1.6m people will be living with dementia by 2040, a new approach is needed to keep residents safe. Designing a safe physical environment


for people living with dementia is challenging, but it is essential. Good design is about prolonging a resident’s independence to maintain dignity, reducing stress and anxiety, and slowing the decline of mental capacity. It means designing for safety and for inclusivity, e.g. to support those with failing sight and poor mobility, and where wheelchairs and walkers might be needed. And it also means designing to make a place feel more like a home rather than an institution. One way to do that is to use design elements which reflect the ambience of the local town or area in which people have lived, worked, and raised their families. This helps them maintain the feeling of being connected to their community and the place they call home.


Good design should also allow for spaces where residents can socialise, and which support activities such as crafting or gardening, or by creating areas where


October 2024 www.thecarehomeenvironment.com


they can continue with purposeful everyday activities such as cooking and laundry to help them maintain their independence and sense of self-worth, and slow their cognitive decline. Outdoor spaces are also invaluable to their overall wellbeing.


Case Study: Hamnavoe House Hamnavoe House is located by the sea among the historic winding streets of the busy harbour town of Stromness, in Orkney, Scotland. Blueleaf designed the interior of this newly built home to be dementia- friendly and respectful of the local area and the hometown of its residents. The full fit-out was delivered in just seven days. An important part of the design


was to blend the home in with the local architecture and reflect its seaside location internally so that the residents felt they were in familiar surroundings. The breathtaking views of the quaint harbour became a main focal point within the home, and a calm and neutral colour palette was chosen to complement rather than


Good design is about prolonging a resident’s independence


overpower the views. With large picture windows spanning the width of communal rooms, there was an abundance of healthy natural light, so even those residents who were not able to get outside could still experience and enjoy it.


Each corridor and room boasted its own unique view, and every space was designed around a viewpoint to act as a natural conversation starter and help residents navigate their own way around the home by using both internal and familiar external landmarks. Bringing the outside world in also helped residents feel connected to the town where they lived, and was enhanced by using materials sourced from the surrounding natural habitat and built environment. The naturalist aesthetic was continued throughout the entire home and incorporated into the design wherever possible, from the fabric pattern choices to the wallpaper designs. To create truly inclusive spaces suitable for residents with ageing eyesight, the design also used contrasting colours and tones between critical surfaces such as floors and walls and a carefully chosen lighting scheme to highlight features of interest, which would also help residents recognise where they were and where they were headed.


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