Dementia-friendly housing with a special focus on creating a home for the residents as well as a workplace where the care workers get a healthy and good working environment.
The challenge
In 2019, Stenslundcentret care home in Odder, Denmark, cut the first sod for the new addition with 30 dementia-friendly assisted living facilities. The residents can move into apartments which are designed and furnished specifically for people with dementia.
Fitting out dementia-friendly housing requires several specific measures. Among others, there has to be a focus on creating a homely feeling, sensory stimulation must be limited, and it has to be easy to orientate oneself in the building as a whole and in the individual apartments. At the same time, the housing is also a workplace for the care workers, and as such, it has to provide a healthy and good working environment.
”Focus on creating a homely feeling”
The strategy
The 30 new dementia-friendly assisted living facilities should not only be a natural extension of the existing care home. They should also be cosy and comfortable homes for people with dementia.
To succeed, it was necessary to take both the residents’ and the care workers’ needs into consideration. It required not only meticulous planning but also in-depth expertise about the dementia disease and its development. It was crucial for all parties involved that the knowledge was translated into specific solutions for furnishing the dementia-friendly apartments.
”Cosy apartments and a modern workplace”
The solution
The completed common areas and apartments are light and inviting and include many dementia- and senior-friendly features. For example, there is a height-adjustable ROPOX 4Single table in the kitchens, which can be adjusted to the residents, who would like to participate in the daily kitchen routines.
Also, ROPOX has advised on the furnishing of the bathrooms and has delivered complete, height-adjustable bathroom concepts, which can minimise the workload for the helpers, as lifting and twists can be avoided. The bathroom includes the ROPOX Toilet Lifter, which helps the user from seated to standing position and vice versa. Toilet Supports are also mounted. They serve as stable support handles and give the resident safety and make them more self-reliant and increases self-esteem.
The washbasin is a height-adjustable SupportLine model, which can be adjusted in height to fit the individual user. The integrated grabs in the washbasin give the resident security when doing daily routines. There are also mounted ergonomic grabs in positions where the resident may need extra support.
As a whole, Stenslundcentret is a fine example of modern, dementia-friendly assisted living facilities, where the users get assistive aids to become self-reliant, and where the care workers have healthy and good working conditions as lifts are minimised.
”Apartments with dementia- and senior-friendly features”
If you want the story of Stenslundscenteret Odder as a print. Download pdf here.