FLOORING


Best foot forward


How flooring specification has helped to create a homely, supportive environment at Scotland’s dementia ‘super care home’


I


t’s not just in mental health environments that flooring choice is vital. The installation of dementia-


friendly surfaces was also central to creating a supportive and comfortable environment at a new £10m ‘super care home’ in Scotland. Crosslet House in Dumbarton is a 90-bed, ultra-modern complex that incorporates a dementia unit and daycare provision.


Owned and managed by West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC), built by Morgan Sindall, and delivered as part of the Hub Project in Scotland; the new facility is the result of a £20m investment to replace six residential care homes and four daycare centres. Hub supply chain partner, Altro, was


commissioned to provide wall and floor coverings for the scheme. The overarching aim was to create


a facility designed to meet the specific needs of people with dementia, removing many of the stresses and obstacles that can make the condition so frightening. Each resident has their own private


en-suite bathroom complete with Altro Pisces safety flooring in the dark-grey shade ‘Anchor’. This product has a soft, homely


appearance, with superior slip resistance and performs whether wet or dry and with bare feet or shoes. Altro Pisces was also fitted in various


18 mhdf magazine


medical rooms, toilets, and in staff showers. To create a warm environment


throughout the facility, Altro Wood Safety flooring in the shade ‘Urban Cherry’ was fitted in general circulation areas, corridors, dining and living rooms, colour-coded kitchens, in the hair salon, and in the staffroom. And a combination of Altro


Stronghold 30 safety flooring and Altro Whiterock White wall sheet was fitted in the main kitchen and kiosk shop. Back-of-house areas such as the laundry, cleaning service storage, sluice rooms, infection control room, and stairways were fitted with Altro Walkway 20 safety flooring to ensure optimum safety and reliability underfoot; while the ITC room was fitted with Altro Walkway 20 SD, the static dissipative version that minimises the amount of damage to static-sensitive equipment such as computers. Crosslet House support services manager, Rhona Aitken, said: “The feedback we have had so far from relatives, residents and visitors in general has been wonderful. Everyone says Crosslet House is more like plush hotel. “The colours and finishes of the floors


give a lovely overall ambiance of homely warmth and help to create a bright, welcoming and stylish interior. “The products are delivering the non- clinical feel we wanted to achieve and


it’s fantastic to see residents feeling so at home here.” She added: “Safety is a huge priority


and we are delighted with the flooring, particularly in the en-suites because it’s completely secure underfoot for both residents with bare feet and staff wearing shoes. The wood-effect flooring is also very safe, but smooth too, and it looks beautiful.” In addition, the products are helping


with infection control. Aitken said: “We are very impressed with the hygiene capabilities of the floors. There are no joints, cracks or bubbles for the dirt to hide in, so hygiene is maximised and this is vital for the health of everyone here.” The flooring was installed by McGarry


Flooring.


www.altro.co.uk www.mcgarry-flooring.co.uk


Images by McAteer Photography


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