practical living
Models for remodelling
Aged-care facilities undertaking refurbishments must decide on the value and benefit of every alteration , but which assessment tools should they use to help make these decisions ?
Samantha Neylon interviewed by Dallas Bastian
Refurbishing a living environment in an aged-care facility may be the best option for providers dealing with changes to both funding and regulations , but there is a lack of research into the reference guides that project teams can use to identify priority areas .
This issue was the basis for a new study , published in the Australasian Journal on Ageing , that evaluated environment assessment tools to determine which would be suitable for a minor refurbishment of a residential aged-care facility .
The study , The effectiveness of environment assessment tools to guide refurbishment of Australian residential aged care facilities : A systematic review , focussed on seven domains : lighting , colour and contrast , sound , flooring , furniture , signage and wayfinding .
Aged Care Insite sits down with lead author Samantha Neylon , manager of specialised services ( living environments and Seatec ), at Brightwater Care Group , to find out which tools explored in the study may be useful for Australian providers and to discuss the key considerations for any minor refurbishment .
ACI : Why did you decide to explore different environment assessment tools used to guide refurbishment of Australian residential aged-care facilities ? SN : There have been significant changes in the residential aged-care sector over the years in terms of funding , regulations , complexity of care needs and consumer expectations . Economic modelling and evaluations have indicated it is not always viable for organisations
( particularly not-for-profit ) to build new facilities . Thus organisations need to consider the potential benefits of refurbishment – whether this be major or minor improvements – to the facility .
Being involved in a minor refurbishment project at a residential aged-care facility ( RACF ), it became apparent there was not a clear evidence base to act as a guide to the project team to identify what the refurbishment priorities were and why .
There was a skill set within the project team , particularly when it came to understanding the impacts ageing has on physical and sensory functions , which was vital for ensuring the resultant interventions were as functional for residents as possible and not based on aesthetics alone .
It became apparent that the training , reinforcement and repetition to have this more widely understood by all stakeholders could be more effective if there was a clear assessment to work from which was embedded into current evidence-based practice .
Charged with living environment service delivery in a residential aged-care organisation , I considered it essential to underpin interventions with the corresponding evidence base as much as possible . Thus I decided to explore different environment assessment tools to see if there was one that could be used by a RACF when undertaking minor refurbishments .
What are some of the key considerations for any provider planning a minor refurbishment ? 1Form a collaborative team with diverse expertise and include consumer representation such as residents , family members and staff . 2Develop a clear and detailed brief as to what the interventions are going to be and why . Draw on the evidence base wherever possible to demonstrate how the resident outcomes will be improved . 3From this , develop your project plan and budget . This is often done too early and without thorough scoping and consultation . 4Consider repairs and ongoing maintenance from the outset , as some cheaper initiatives may prove to be more costly in the longer term . For example , painting skirting boards is a quick and instant way to provide effective colour and contrast strategies between flooring and the walls , but equipment such as trolleys , hoists and wheelchairs scratching and gouging the surface may render the use of timber or engineered thermoplastic products to be more cost effective in the longer run . 5Ensure the project team engages and liaises with stakeholders throughout the process and is open to flexibility , lateral thinking and innovation as minor refurbishments are often completed while the facility is fully operational . 6Remember that no matter how big or how small the project , every intervention has the potential to make a difference to the function and wellbeing of the older person living in the RACF .
The study identified 10 environment assessment tools . What criteria did they have to meet ? The criteria for study inclusion included a measure of the physical environment , readily accessible ( and preferably with an instruction manual ), and measuring at least two minor refurbishment domains ( the authors identified seven minor refurbishment domains in a previous study – lighting , colour / contrast , sound , flooring , furniture , signage and wayfinding ).
The tools came from the UK , US and Australia and varied in length ( from 59 items to assess through to 623 items ) and complexity ( from tick boxes through to requiring specific training
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