Care home interiors: a cornerstone to success

Care home operators are once again turning their attention to refurbishing and upgrading their facilities, returning to projects they put on the back burner as the pandemic hit. Here, Russell Pillar, founder of Interiors by Amara Hammond, looks at some of the ways care homes can optimise their investment to support both their immediate needs and long-term goals, and explains how the right use of space is not just a matter of aesthetics but contributes to many vital aspects of running a home

The physical environment is instrumental in defining the quality of your care provision. Furniture, furnishings, and flooring should be specifically designed for the care sector, where high levels of durability and ease of cleaning are prerequisites. There are many specialist, high performance upholsteries and textiles available on the market that offer all of the necessary properties – waterproof, wipeable, stain repellent, and fire-rated to commercial standards. Using fire-retardant sprays on curtains is still quite common but as they lose their effectiveness after a few washes at high temperature; the curtain fabric itself should have flame retardancy built in. In addition, we are seeing more operators in the post-COVID era specify fabrics featuring innovative anti-microbial technology, helping to ramp up the inherent germ resistance of the home and prevent the spread of infections.

Importantly, even interiors with highly technical profiles are a world away from the institutional look and feel of years gone by. Many care home managers are surprised that anti-microbial textiles including curtains now come in a wide range to suit all design and care considerations. The same is true for furniture and flooring. Care attributes naturally come first - such as chairs with reinforced frames or pressure-relieving cushions, low profile or adjustable beds, anti-slip safety vinyl, and even flooring with sound absorbing qualities - but these can all be compatible with a modern design scheme. Lissa Di Giacomo, managing director at Oakminster Healthcare in Scotland, which operates five care homes in the heart of Glasgow, testifies to this. She says: “Today it is perfectly possible to specify practical, high-performing interiors that have the shelf-life necessary for the care environment without compromising on comfort, style, and homeliness. For instance, we recently opted for chairs in a new range of wipeable upholstery that looks just like woven fabric but is durable enough to withstand deep-cleaning.”