Jacqui Smith, co-director of family-run interior design practice HomeSmiths, throws some light on the importance of colour contrast in care homes
I am an interior designer. I am also an interior designer with a visual impairment. In November 2012 I permanently lost the sight in my left eye due to an attack of acute closed-angle glaucoma.
Determined to combine my personal understanding of sight loss with my profession, I have since made interior design for sensory impairment a personal crusade. With visual difficulties often being associated with cognitive decline, dementia-friendly design has been very much part of this crusade.
Earlier this year I met with a care operator who turned to me halfway through my pitch presentation and said, with a smile, “You really do care about this, don’t you?”. Yes I do! As we get older, all of us will in some degree experience a change in our visual acuity.
Our eyes age just like any other part of our body; the muscles in our eyes become less responsive to changes in light levels, we need more light to see properly and our lenses start to yellow. That makes certain colours harder to discern.
The built environment plays a pivotal role in creating living spaces which support people, helping them to see as best they can, navigate the space they are living in as safely as they can, and keep them independent for as long as possible. Good design has such an incredibly positive impact on both a person’s physical and mental health and wellbeing
It is important to remember that even a slight deterioration of any of our senses can be frightening. Not only can it interfere with our safety and our ability to understand our surroundings, but it can also massively affect our overall comfort and independence. The smallest of changes to the care home environment can make the biggest and most positive impact
Whether we are designing a care home, an extra care scheme, a sheltered scheme for a housing association or wet room for a private residential client, we apply inclusive design principles. We ensure that colour contrast is achieved, be it floor to skirting, door to architrave, grab rail to tiles, furniture against the floor and so on.
We make certain the lighting scheme affords residents plenty of light without glare and that the scheme itself comprises different sources of light, including flexible and dimmable task lighting so levels can be adapted to meet the varied needs of residents.
On a return visit to an assisted living scheme we completed last year for a client in Kent, it was heartening to see a buzzing communal lounge where lamps were being used to support residents relaxing with their daily crossword, as well as completing a jigsaw.
Considered choices are also vital when it comes to finishes in living environments for older people, ensuring they are safe, non-reflective and that adjacent flooring surfaces are as close in tone as possible, so as not to suggest a step and risk a resident falling.
Elegant interiors can absolutely be achieved and still remain supportive. People with impaired vision need more light to see properly and colour contrast will provide real definition to their environment, enabling them to move around safely without fear of falls or walking into anything
Colour contrast can, for some operators, conjure up images of bright primary colours and fly in the face of their vision for a tasteful care home interior. I get this and fully understand the concern. Yet colour contrast is about the difference in light reflectance of a surface so can still be achieved through a tasteful palette. Interior schemes can be both sophisticated and supportive of people living with sensory and cognitive decline.
Whether it is a new build care home or a refurbishment, making the right choices with finishes, furniture and lighting will benefit residents instantly and pay dividends further down the line
Just before lockdown, we met with a client who wished to engage us to assist with a refurb of the home’s communal spaces. During our visit to the home, it was apparent some of the rooms had been upgraded recently and, while they looked attractive, the design was not inclusive since they had not sought the advice of a specialist dementia designer.
The home is now having to go to the expense of refurbishing a number of the rooms, including replacing wall coverings, taking up flooring and installing new light fittings. Investing in the right advice at the start of a project will pay off. It is worth saying that making an environment inclusive and supportive does not equate to spending lots of money on the fit out.
It is about making the right decisions, choosing the right finish, picking out the right colour and installing appropriate lighting. We have worked with both generous and tight budgets on new builds and are very used to being creative for a modestly financed refurbishment
Massive transformations can be achieved by changing wall colour alone.
These before and after shots from a care home refurbishment project we have been working on in Essex feature three communal rooms which were not being used to their full potential by residents and had become dumping grounds.
While the home sits in beautiful grounds and offers wonderful care, these front-of-house areas did not reflect this. The refurbishment has provided residents with inviting, engaging spaces to spend time in with other residents as well as visiting relatives while setting the tone for the home the minute you walk through the door
We work with single site homes as well as larger operators on both new build and refurbishment projects. Most of our clients engage us from concept through to fit out but for larger operators who wish to procure and coordinate installation themselves, we offer a design and specification only service.
For clients who wish to do the work themselves yet are looking for guidance on best practice for dementia friendly design, we offer a consultancy service. We have often been asked into a home after a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection to assist the client with upgrades to the environment.
It was wonderful to receive this from Gary Curpen, owner of Barnham Manor care home, one of our clients on the south coast: “Project completed on Wednesday successfully and then at 8.50am on Friday the CQC inspectors were at the door.
“The inspectors were very impressed with the colour scheme and the new layout. Thank you very much. We are extremely happy with the excellent work that you have done for our home.”
Contact details
Telephone: 01444 440880
Website: www.homesmiths.co.uk
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/homesmiths
