What Do Residents and Their Families Look For In a Care Home?

• First Impressions:
  • Importance: Vital for dispelling anxieties; influenced by staff communication and facility design.
  • Refurb Opportunity: Refurbishments offer a chance to enhance security and comfort, crucial for first-time residents.
• Amenities and Structure:
  • Design Goals: Accommodate various interests and lifestyles; balance independence and sociability.
  • Key Features: Clearly navigable spaces; diverse facilities promoting resident engagement; areas catering to different preferences.
• Creating a Good Atmosphere:
  • Importance: Essential for residents’ comfort and well-being.
  • Design Considerations: Use of color and aesthetic design; intuitive wayfinding through color coding; balance between independence and supportiveness.

When a resident chooses a care home, they are making an important decision about their future.

It is up to a care provider to facilitate an intuitive service from the outset, and knowing what a resident is looking for from a care home is the most effective way of achieving this.

What are care home first impressions important

The ability of a care home to dispel any anxieties or trepidations a resident might have early on can never be underestimated.

Naturally, this comes primarily from the attitude and communication of the staff and operators, but a large part of a good first impression stems from the facility’s design.

For an existing home, a refurb is the perfect chance to take a close look at how the care home can be adapted throughout.

This can drive home a sense of security and comfort that’s so important to residents who are looking into residential care for the first time.

The importance of care home amenities and structure

The design of a care home should look to accommodate many different interests and lifestyles, and this can be achieved through clever use of space.

Both independence and sociability are vital for residents, and a care home which seamlessly accommodates this through its design will create a far more enjoyable and suitable environment for its residents and staff.

Residents naturally look at the spaces available, but how these fit together will also be a major influence.

Clearly navigable and structured facilities – which offer a wide palate of opportunities – strengthens the connection a resident can feel with the home and the people inside.

This design focus contributes greatly to the facility’s overall attractiveness, which will assist the staff and management when operating their home.

Designing and creating areas with a key point of destination can always help those who are suffering with dementia.

It is also key to ensure that the home has a mix of quiet and more active spaces, so that residents have options based upon their preferences.

How to create a good atmosphere in your care home

Of course, a positive atmosphere is essential. Residents innately want to feel comfortable in a care home, and design can be heavily influential here as well.

Cultivating a supportive atmosphere that encourages independence is a challenging balance, but one that pays dividends.

Colour and aesthetic design often go overlooked here, so honing in on this during a redesign is crucial.

Colour coding different spaces to assist with intuitive wayfinding, for example, is an effective yet subtle way of helping residents gain familiarity without requiring constant assistance.

Once the balance has been struck through your care home design, a positive atmosphere will be easier than ever to retain.

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.

At Aedifice Partnership, we manage the appointment of the right designers for care home construction, while maintaining the relationships which comes with such projects. Simply, get in contact with us today, to find out how we can help you.