Challenges for Care Home Construction in 2024

• Supply Chain Challenges: Care home construction faces hurdles due to ongoing supply chain disruptions influenced by global events like the pandemic and geopolitical tensions. Project managers must prepare by ordering materials early and maintaining flexibility with suppliers.
• Cost of Living Crisis: The rising cost of living and potential recession in 2024 create wage challenges for care home construction projects. Project budgets need to accommodate higher wage expectations from employees, impacting overall costs.
• Focus on Cost-Effective Design: There’s a renewed emphasis on cost-effective care home design to address mental health and well-being concerns highlighted during the pandemic. Key considerations include creating meaningful outdoor spaces, maximizing natural light indoors, simplifying layouts, reducing clutter, and integrating technology for resident connectivity. These design aspects are essential for future-proofing care homes and enhancing residents’ quality of life.

As we move further into 2023, it’s time to take a look at what some of the challenges might be for upcoming care home construction projects.

From supply chain issues to a renewed focus on mental well-being, there are a number of things that project managers will need to take into account.

Supply chain issues for care home construction

From the pandemic to the war in Ukraine, there have been many different factors that have influenced the supply chain issues that we’ve been experiencing over the past couple of years.

While things might be looking a little brighter for 2023 and material prices are expected to stabilise, it would be safer to not bank on this and prepare for every eventuality.

This means that making sure materials are ordered and accounted for well in advance will be extremely important, as well as being as flexible as possible with your suppliers and the materials you use.

Cost of living crisis and recession in 2024

The ongoing cost of living crisis means that wages will likely be a challenge going forward for care home construction projects.

There will be an expectation of higher wages from employees in order to meet basic living requirements, and this will need to be factored into budgets by project managers. 

While we are expecting cost increases to be more in line with normal cost increases (with a 4-5% cost increase primarily down to labour costs), we will still expect the cost of living to be something of a strain on budgets in 2023.

A renewed focus on cost-effective care home design

Mental health and well-being has become a hugely important topic in recent years, and this certainly has been the case when it comes to care home management.

The pandemic brought to light some key issues relating to care home design when residents were forced to isolate, and these issues need to be addressed with new care home construction projects.

A focus on creating enough meaningful outdoor space for residents.

As well, ensuring indoor spaces get enough natural light, are laid out simply and lack clutter will be crucial.

Technological integration will also be key to ensuring that care homes are future-proof and allow residents different ways to stay in touch with their loved ones.

In summary, 2023 won’t be an easy year for care home construction, but as long as you have the right people in your corner to make sure things go as smoothly as possible, we think that positive steps forward can be made for the industry.

If you would like to learn more about how the construction landscape is changing and how the care home sector can adapt to this, listen to this podcast featuring our owner Nick Martin.

Aedifice Partnership is a leading consultancy and project management firm specializing in delivering high-quality projects across various sectors, including care homes, residential properties, education establishments, and commercial properties.

Our range of services includes project management, chartered building surveys, CDM and quantity surveying among others.

Aedifice Partnership manages new care home construction as well as refurbishment projects throughout the UK.

For further details on the services Aedifice Partnership offers, please contact us.