Ways to Boost Residents’ Quality of Life In a Care Home

• Animal Companionship: Introducing therapy animals like dogs offers psychological and physical benefits, reducing anxiety and depression, improving fine motor skills, and encouraging engagement, especially for residents with dementia.
• Exercise Programs: Implementing regular exercise routines, whether through short walks or chair aerobics, is vital for residents’ physical health and mood, contributing to a better quality of life.
• Home-like Design: Thoughtful care home design, including familiar artwork, comforting furnishings, and conducive room layouts, helps residents feel more at home, enhancing their comfort and overall well-being.

Living in a care home doesn’t have to mean that the hobbies, activities and things that make a resident’s life unique have to be abandoned. On the contrary, to ensure that residents are getting the most out of their experience and quality of life is maximised, these sorts of things should be embraced.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the ways in which quality of life can be boosted for care home residents.

Animal companionship in care homes

While dog therapy sounds like a gimmick, it has been proven to offer a number of psychological and physical benefits. For example, animal companionship can help to tackle anxiety and depression, whilst also helping to improve fine motor skills through grooming. Thanks to their mood-boosting effects, therapy dogs can even encourage residents with dementia to get more involved with certain activities within the care home. 

Exercise routines in care homes

Exercise is absolutely essential to a good quality of life for care home residents. Whether it’s a short walk to keep muscles active or a simple regime of chair aerobics, a consistent exercise programme, and a designated place to carry it out, can make a huge difference to a resident’s mood and overall health.

Designing a care home with home in mind

One of things that can affect a resident’s quality of life in a care home is not feeling truly at home. The best way to combat these sorts of feelings is through well-thought-out care home design. Whether it’s a particular piece of artwork, a certain type of carpet or just the layout of a room, helping resident’s feel truly comfortable can make a world of difference.

As property and project management specialists, Aedifice are perfectly positioned to help you with your care home development project. We have a wealth of experience managing new care home and retirement village construction projects throughout the UK, offering unique insights and advice to our clients where necessary. Contact Aedifice for a free quote!