Dementia design
Bespoke furniture was manufactured for the communal areas, including large comfortable high-back circular seating and two bespoke coffee tables designed to sit on top of round upholstered footstools. High- back chairs are good for residents’ back health, supporting their posture as they chat and socialise, and enabling them to do so for longer. The clever use of the bespoke furniture and room-dividing features incorporated into the design provide carers and residents with the flexibility to divide up the large communal space when they need to in order to host a whole variety of community events.
Designing for fading sight and memory As dementia becomes more advanced, the brain changes. Memories begin to fade, starting with what happened yesterday, regressing to what happened a few years ago, and often people end up living in an earlier time in their lives, when they were decades younger. So using décor that reflects the time in which the person now ‘lives’ and is familiar helps them to feel more comfortable and reduces their anxiety and confusion.
In terms of physical challenges, as people age, their eyesight fades, colours become less distinct, and depth perception is lost. So more light enables them to see more easily. Lighting can, for example, be designed to highlight chairs and tables so residents can find them easily. The minimum recommended light levels are 300 lux, which not only helps residents see but also potentially reduces anxiety and depression. If white light is over 1000 lux, and has a high proportion of blue light, it
Pictures and symbols which respect cultural and social differences should be used
can also improve cognitive function. Lighting can also be used to maintain residents’ normal circadian rhythms so that people do not fall asleep during the day or experience sundowning – the state of confusion that occurs late in the afternoon among those living with dementia. Using blackout curtains or – better still – sophisticated indoor lighting that automatically mimics natural morning, afternoon, and evening light, helps to maintain healthy daily rhythms. People living with dementia often have
difficulty processing and interpreting what they see. So lighting can be used to minimise shadows on the floor which residents may misinterpret as holes in the ground, and become worried they may trip and fall. Residents can also misinterpret shiny floors as water, and carpet patterns as snakes, and flecks can be mistaken as specks of dust which residents will try to pick up off the floor. Avoiding shiny, slippery, heavily patterned surfaces when choosing flooring, wall coverings, and soft furnishings will reduce residents’ anxiety and confusion. The floor colour should sufficiently contrast with other surfaces so residents can more easily determine where edges are and what distances they are travelling. There are various types of flooring which are suitable for different areas around the care home. The Department of Health recommends matt flooring to promote movement and independence. Vinyl and linoleum with a low contrast wood finish have good non-slip finishes, which are soft, safe for unsteady feet and easy to clean in kitchens, corridors, bedrooms, and bathrooms. Rubber flooring is suitable in kitchens as it is both slip-resistant and – critically – fire-resistant.
All commercial flooring has more stringent decibel standards than domestic flooring and keeping noise to a minimum in kitchens and dining rooms will encourage residents to eat more. Carpets absorb extraneous noise, which is less distracting for the hard of hearing or those who find it difficult to concentrate. They are also warm, and ideal for areas where elderly residents are likely to sit for some time.
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www.thecarehomeenvironment.com October 2024
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