Website of The Care Home Environment Magazine

Using design principles in accessible bathrooms

Ed Warner, founder of Motionspot, explains how using design principles to create beautiful, accessible bathrooms can positively impact on the health and wellbeing of care home residents, their families and carers

Over recent years, there has been a significant push to improve the look and feel of care environments as operators listen to feedback from residents and family members who say that care homes should feel more like homes than hospitals. While great strides have been made in this area, there is still a long way to go in changing perception of accessible design completely.

While bedrooms and communal spaces have seen significant design improvements, one of the hardest rooms to get right in a care home seems to be the bathroom. Bathrooms are often tight on space and can be over specified with unsightly products that ensure safety and security for every eventuality, which is often at the expense of addressing individual access requirements and personal taste. 

Research shows that poor design is still one of the major challenges for anyone with an access need. Another of the top considerations is how to overcome potential risks, such as  slips and falls, while addressing the issue of a lack of space and avoiding a clinical appearance. However, the ‘one style fits all’ approach and the expectation that accessibility equates to drab, grey and boring is gradually being replaced by a belief that functionality should never be at the expense of style

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Upcoming Events

Care Roadshows - Glasgow

Hampden Park Stadium, Glasgow
16th April 2024

Care Show London

ExCel, London
24 April 2024 - 25 April 2024

Future of Care Leaders Conference

The King’s Fund, London
Tuesday 30th April 2024

Care Roadshows - Liverpool

Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool
14th May 2024

Care Roadshows - Birmingham

Villa Park Stadium, Birmingham
16th May 2024

Care Home Awards

Royal Garden Hotel, London, W8 4PT
17th May 2024

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