A new care home providing dementia support is said, by the owners, to be set to revolutionise care in Britain and they are going to build a lot more. Anchor Trust – a not-for-profit provider of housing and care for older people – says its new £30m care home in Surrey is the first to implement a new care model to allow customers greater control over the choices they make. The bed frames also include monitoring kit. Read more here: Housing provider launches ‘revolutionary’ care home for dementia support.
4 thoughts on “'Revolutionary' care home for dementia support opens (UK)”
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I think revolutionise is a bit strong. When you break it down it has pretty much what a lot of really good homes have already. They are starting out with good intentions which is fantastic and I wish them all the very best.
It is still an institution which is something you can never get away from. They will still have staffing issues, the choices and wishes or ‘desires and routines set out by the residents themselves’ will still have to marry in with the day to day workings of the home.
I would still argue that most people with the right support and guidance (and obviously assistive technology) can stay at home for much longer.
When you get to a stage where you need to be in a home such as this then you have already lost your ability to choose and control the direction of your life and rely solely on others ‘doing things for you’. Then how pretty the home is and how clear the cupboards are make your relatives that visit once a week happy – not you.
I would love to be proven wrong but I think those huge glass folding doors (not the auto opening sliding front doors but the patio doors) are likely to be covered in stickers of some description before too long … for a person with dementia who can no longer adjust to environmental changes there is no difference in the doors being open or the doors being shut … except that one hurts more than the other!
I love the architecture and the blog I found about the solar shading (they aren’t decorative fins after all) was interesting; I think the variation of meal time and choices is incredibly important; including allotments for those that wish to continue gardening is valuable …
… but is there more telecare involved than just the bed frame sensors? It is hard to get clarity from the information available but if there isn’t then I think a missed opportunity for truly personalising care home living … although a step in a better direction
Cathy,
There is a legal requirement under the Building Regulations for full height doors / sliding glazed screens, etc to have a decotate motif / decal installed at approximately 1500mm above Finished floor Level (ie eye height) to try and stop people walking straight into glass doors / screens, etc.
appreciately, not a lot of good if you are sat in a wheelchair, but then again your feet will take the impact rather than your face.
[quote name=”Andrew Chapman”]Cathy,
There is a legal requirement under the Building Regulations for full height doors / sliding glazed screens, etc to have a decotate motif / decal installed at approximately 1500mm above Finished floor Level (ie eye height) to try and stop people walking straight into glass doors / screens, etc.
appreciately, not a lot of good if you are sat in a wheelchair, but then again your feet will take the impact rather than your face.[/quote]
Unfortunately though, Andrew, Building Regulations do not consider the fact that for many older eyes subtle decals are of limited use – there needs to be a stronger colour distinction than a frosted decal.
I really love all the glazing in these buildings but how many of us live with that sort of glazing in our home and therefore how many people moving to West Hall will already be familiar with these sorts of glass walls?
For those who are wheelchair dependent of more interest would be the ease of opening? nevertheless it is not acceptable for them to sustain foot injuries because Building Regs don’t consider the level of decals to suit them.
If we truly want to make spaces useful, friendly and adaptable for everyone we have to go beyond Regulations – for example – brand new, purpose built homes for a wheelchair dependent person – why are the wardrobes designed to be only 1m wide with a pair of sliding doors and rail at standard height? (possibly because the architect has never tried on that persons shoes to know what is within reach and practical).
No I haven’t forgotten that this is a site about technology – but I am also clear that technology is only ever part of the solution and so we have to consider the environment in which it will sit and work. It is a shame to see brand new purpose built environments not fully embrace these points – not for the benefits of getting Building Regs signed off but for the benefit of the individuals who will live there.