Elderly residents in Lincolnshire are having a say in how their rooms are decorated thanks to a pioneering project being run by Tanglewood Care Homes.
The Tanglewood Textiles Programme, which gives residents more choice over their living environment, is being rolled out by Tanglewood at its care homes in Alford, Horncastle, Coningsby, Spalding and Boston.
The care group has partnered with Skopos Fabrics to carefully curate themed textile boards featuring assorted colours and sensory fabrics, designed specifically to engage residents living with dementia.
In January all Tanglewood homes held consultation sessions where residents and their relatives were invited to explore different fabrics. They had the opportunity to look at and feel a range of material options for their bedroom before choosing their favourite designs.
Lynn Wade, marketing manager at Skopos Fabrics, says: “Having worked with Tanglewood for over 25 years we’re delighted to be collaborating with them on their latest refurbishment project. We’ve come up with schemes for both public areas and bedrooms in their care
homes, and our bespoke design team has created unique fabrics for bedding, curtains and upholstery furnishings.”
Founder and director of Tanglewood Care Homes, Tracy Ann Shelbourn, says: “We're keen to engage our residents and we feel that giving them more choice in the unique design of their bedrooms will give them exclusivity as well as helping them to maintain their independence.
“This is all part of a wider project to transform our cultural focus and continue to ensure that our overall provision of care for residents is at the heart of everything we do.
“Each home recently held a bedroom planning party where residents and relatives were invited to explore the wide range of textile options available before choosing their favourite designs.
“We felt it was essential to involve the residents so that they were able to look at, touch and feel the sample materials they most liked to create a home from home environment.
“Now with 20 different colour combinations, residents have more choice than ever before to have their bedroom just the way they want it – we have themes ranging from an earthy harvest gold to vibrant berry candy.”
Refurbishment work on all of the rooms involved in the Tanglewood Textiles Program has begun and is due to be completed in July.
