Can good design reduce the care home fear factor?
Guillem Arraez, project architect at Holmes Miller recently provided some thoughts on the design of care homes which was featured in an article in the Herald.
Scotland's population is ageing. We are living longer, and that’s mostly wonderful - but it means more of us are likely to need residential care as we get older.
If you can think of nothing worse than ending up in a care home, you’re not alone. These fears were exacerbated by the pandemic, when residents, staff and everyone connected with the care sector had their lives turned upside down.
A care home shouldn’t be seen as somewhere to be sent to and forgotten about, nor a place to merely facilitate end-of-life care. If we want to reduce the care home ‘fear factor’, it’s in society’s interest to ensure they provide welcoming, stimulating, close-knit communities that are centred around improving wellbeing.
Obviously, much of this is down to staff, but the design of a facility plays a major role too. Some of the best examples of care homes are designed well, with enviable communal facilities like cinemas, cafes, libraries, putting greens, rooftop gardens and hair salons at their heart. Amenities like these encourage social connections, improve happiness levels and provide essential stimulation.
Offering attractive spaces and activities that residents and their families can enjoy together on-site has also been shown to encourage more – and longer – visits, enhancing resident wellbeing. A relative may spend considerably more time with their loved one, for example, if their own small children are entertained while they visit.
Some care facilities – mainly in Europe, but with a handful now starting to appear in the UK - take a whole-village approach. Designed around streets featuring supermarkets, shops, launderettes and even bars, this type of model aims to give residents as much ‘real world’ experience as possible. Small groups live together in ‘households’ that function as a community, supported by staff. Here they’re encouraged to do as much for themselves as they can, and spend regular time outside, to keep them active and stimulated.
It’s clear that care homes don’t have to be something to fear. But with later-life care taking up ever more of our public spending, and the squeeze on budgets showing no sign of abating, is a future full of well-designed, welcoming residential communities just a pipe dream?
Last year, Scottish Care warned that, on average, a care home was closing every week due to funding and staffing challenges. Without finding new and innovative ways to support our older people, things are only likely to get worse.
Technology undoubtedly has a role to play in the future of care. Smart technologies like remote monitoring and AI can improve the quality of care while also making it more efficient and cost-effective. It can also empower people to live independently in their own homes for longer, potentially reducing the strain on residential care.
Designing new care homes to be more energy efficient, which results in significantly reduced heating or cooling costs, could help provide better environments which are also more cost-effective in the long-term.
It’s certainly a challenge for our decision makers - but whatever conclusions they come to about the future of residential care, they shouldn’t forget about the impact good design can have on health and wellbeing. After all, every one of us may need a care home one day.
