Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa November 2019 | Page 63

No sight lines & no focus on outdoor
activity
Wet rooms are ideal and perhaps and a sluice room. The use of
a dedicated sluice room works to isolate human waste sanitation
operations. Make the wet rooms wider to allow for extra space
for wheelchair access, as well as three people. There should be no
concerns about glass breaking. Grab rails and no slip tiling with
easy access for a carer or two makes wet rooms ideal. Medical
devies, services and solutions supplier Arjo have an excellent
architect guide as to the optimum size of space required.
Specialist equipment
Dementia residents are often in a state of anxiety. Arjo have
developed the Nordic Relax chair that gently rocks with a
weighted blanket as well as soothing music that all adds to the
reducing this stress.
Methodist Homes Primvilla has seen remarkable changes in
residents from a lady who could not stop moving to falling
asleep within 10 minutes in the chair. Two residents started
talking and have moved to mid-care with another walking up
straight and another helping to serve tea to other residents.
Storage
Specific areas need to be built dedicated to storage.
Wheelchairs, scales, shower chairs, linen etc are bulky and
should be stored for easy access.
Maintenance
After staff and food, maintenance is the biggest expense. With
that in mind think quality finishes that will age well over the
years. I heard that an elderly diminutive lady pulled a sink
off the wall. Think beyond what you’re used to. Dementia
residents generally don’t look up. Place locks higher. Paint a
staff door the same colour as the wall to ensure that residents
don’t enter.
Laundry
Industrial laundry solutions need to be in place. A laundry
tagging system will make life easier especially when family
members want to see the new jumper they bought on their
loved one and not on someone else.
Active community environment,
site lines & outdoor activity
Design
The availability of professional care staff is driven by demand
with less people entering the nursing profession. Dementia
care is required 24 hours, 365 days a year. The design of the
building needs to consider lines of sight. Building rooms off
corridors is not efficient nor does it promote better care. Easy
access to bedrooms within lines of sights makes it quicker for
care to respond to a resident in difficulty. Cameras are a very
useful aid, but they don’t and can’t replace care professionals.
The solution would be to build round, with a central
hub of living space and a semi-hub for care professionals
as suggested by architect William McMorran from
Architectronicus UK, who provided some great insights to
delegates at the Retirement Village Summit in 2018. He
shared how lines of sight are very important and residents
should be able to have freedom of movement, but remain
safe and secure with access to the outside. The need to
preserve independence for as long as possible is important.
The Department of Health and DSS both have strict
guidelines that need to be adhered to, but it needn’t stop your
creativity, nor the level of care provided.
Irrespective of the size of the home and the number of
residents the overwhelming sense must be that it is a home
that cares for people who require a little more attention and
consideration.
If you are thinking of taking on this challenging environment
there are major financial benefits now and for the future, but
that needs to be countered with a considered approach that
takes into account new technology, extensive wear and tear
and a brave new approach to maximize care costs for this
growing market.
For more information visit retirementdevelopers.com
Polyflor:https://www.polyflor.com/jh/web.nsf/articles/9swf4y
Arjo:https://www.arjo.com/int/solutions/architects-and-planners/
SA Real Estate Investor Magazine NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019
61