The Orders of St John Care Trust’s Goodson Lodge Care Centre in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, has been awarded the Dementia Design Gold Award by independent experts at the Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) University of Stirling.
To achieve this award, Goodson Lodge attained an assessment score of 98 per cent for its dementia friendly design, setting a new benchmark as the highest scoring residential aged care setting on record worldwide.
The Dementia Design Gold Accreditation Award, which is only offered to environments that achieve the highest standards of design, is administered by the University of Stirling’s Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC), an international centre of knowledge and expertise dedicated to improving the lives of people with dementia.
The accreditation scheme independently assesses both hospital and residential care settings through a detailed and extensive audit process that rates the design of the building against research-evidenced dementia design principles.
Dr Timothy Plant, client development manager for The Orders of St John Care Trust, says: “I am delighted that Goodson Lodge has achieved this remarkable score from the University of Stirling. It’s a testament to the work of the trust in prioritising the needs and wellbeing of people with dementia that we support.
"We are proud that the design of the building around our ‘household’ model raises the bar for dementia design and has been recognised not only for providing an excellent environment for people with dementia to live, but also for care colleagues to work.”
Goodson Lodge Care Centre was completed in spring 2017 and accommodates 64 residents. Split over two floors, the state-of-the-art home offers compassionate care in an environment that has been sensitively designed with residents’ wellbeing in mind.
Every resident has access to a homely household living area, including a lounge, sitting room, open plan kitchen and dining room. The centre also includes a ‘high street’ featuring cinema, hairdressing salon, café and shop where residents can buy supplies, toiletries and greetings cards.
Martin Quirke, DSDC architect at the University of Stirling, says: “As research evidence has developed over the years, best practice in design of care home environments has changed dramatically. Goodson Lodge incorporates some of the latest thinking in this area.
"The building and its gardens have been sensitively designed, with an attention to detail that promotes comfort and wellbeing, whilst unobtrusively designed safety features help to optimise independence amongst residents as they live a life filled with meaningful and enjoyable activities.
"The Orders of St John Care Trust are recognised for their compassionate and committed approach to dementia care, and the outcome at Goodson Lodge is testament to this.”
Goodson Lodge home manager, Annette Ayles, says: “It is a privilege to work in such a special environment. Spaces are cosy and on a domestic scale and keep our residents independent, stimulated and active. They are able to use the space like they would their own homes. Our residents are proof that this new type of home has a massive impact on the way we live.”
