Creating a home from home

Following a big fire in January 2016, Alastrean House in Aboyne, a former retreat for Royal Air Force veterans, has re-opened.

Having been refurbished, the flagship care home, owned by The MacRobert Trust and operated by Balhousie Care Group, now looks more like a swish hotel than a residential home.

Balhousie Care Group’s in-house architect, Lesley Birrell, is the woman behind its redesign. She hadn’t visited the property before the fire and had only a few photographs of the care home to work from.

“I was starting from scratch, which was a refreshing and unique situation. There was nothing holding me back, I had a clean slate,” said Lesley.

With the help of Balhousie interior designer Fiona Brumby she used historic photographs and records, and tales from the local village to design something with one foot in the past and one firmly in the 21st century. It helped that she says she literally felt the bones of the house, and its past.

“You felt it in certain rooms. You could imagine people having parties, hear them talking and drinking and spilling out into the gardens,” said Lesley.

As always, uppermost in her mind was creating a place that would be comfortable and easy to navigate for residents, and one that made staff and visiting family members happy too.

Designing for the elderly, and for people with dementia, is wholly different from any other sort of interior design. Familiarity and continuity are key. The subtly themed decor – inspired by dancing, golf and the building’s history – also serves as a visual aid to help navigation and memory.

For example, a historic painting of Alastrean depicts a black Labrador. The new home has a welcoming Labrador figure in the foyer, several black Labrador figures throughout, and a dog basket for the therapy pets who visit residents.

She used old RAF uniform buttons to line the back of some armchairs. There are inspirational quotes written on the walls of the public areas, which not only create the idea of community, and of a new start, but help residents with room recognition and memory recall. Similarly, signage is used extensively in the home.

“This is a big building – there are 29 rooms right now and 22 will open at a later stage – so it’s easy to get lost. Big bold lettering and pictures are important so that residents identify rooms and feel more secure and safe,” said Yvonne Manson, dementia consultant with Balhousie Care Group, with whom Lesley consults closely.

Lesley made sure to devote different colours to different living areas, another way to help residents know their way around. She made sure to create bathrooms which have homely touches to them – with wooden ornaments and shelves, for example – so that they didn’t appear clinical. Mirrors, as in all the care homes she designs, were sometimes decorated to look like windows. In public areas, furniture has been grouped to encourage conversations, games and activities.

The six-month project is clearly something Lesley enjoyed. And she wants the home to be fun for the people who use it too.

“The eras of the current residents were the 1950s and 1960s, and these times were all about reds and pinks and bright colours. We felt a cocktail bar was important for the same reason. And the jukebox looks retro but is modern. Why shouldn’t they have a bit of luxury, a bit of glamour?”

The result? Staff love it every bit as much as residents. “The staff are being entirely serious when they tell me they want this to be their care home when the time comes,” said Lesley. DESIGNING FOR THE ELDERLY AT HOME Designing interiors for the elderly isn’t just a concern for care homes. As the population ages and we become carers and elderly residents ourselves, our interiors will follow suit. Here, Lesley Birrell offers some suggestions.

GROUP YOUR FURNITURE It’s tempting to arrange sofas and armchairs around the TV, but often what the elderly want is company and conversation in a more intimate setting. Instead, create small, cosy seating arrangements with tables for games and the ability to chat.

SENSORY OPPORTUNITIES

Those with cognitive decline benefit from enhanced sensory opportunities. Different textures, varied fabric patterns and colours all help.

COLOUR IS THE KEY Grouping the same colours together can distinguish certain areas, and therefore act as navigation and familiarity tools. The contrasting colours and tones make identification easier for those with memory/ cognitive issues as well as for individuals with visual impairment.

DON’T MAKE BATHROOMS ULTRA MODERN

Stark and modern may be the prevailing interior design trend for bathrooms, but not when it comes to the elderly and those with dementia. For them and for family members, the ultra- sterile look can look too much like a hospital. Glare can also be a big problem for older eyes. Break it up with surfaces and ornaments that have a softer finish, like wood.

MINIMISE MIRRORS Those living with dementia can become troubled seeing their image in a mirror. Keep mirrors to a minimum and consider disguising them. Fake ivy draped around a mirror can give the illusion of a window instead.

KEEP WALL COVERINGS SIMPLE BUT STIMULATING

Wall coverings and artwork with subtle features can provide engagement and stimulation for people sitting for long periods of time. But make them too complex and they can trigger anxiety for those with certain types of dementia.

CARPET

While hard floor surfaces can help with cleaning and may cut down the risks of trips and falls, there is also room for short pile, antimicrobial carpeting in some areas to reduce noise levels, create a better grip, and increase residents’ sense of security. Use of varied floor textures also helps residents identify different areas within a home.

SIGNS

The elderly, and especially those with dementia, need as much help as possible with orientation. Use signage on doors, either words or pictures, so that they become familiar with rooms and their function.