A dramatic shift is occurring in what is considered best practice in aged care design.
Efficiency of care, WH&S, building codes, Australian Standards and of course costs have traditionally been the driving factors in aged care design. Today, the importance of the mental and physical wellness of residents, and the ability to provide these key indicators of quality of life must become priority.
A new white paper from industry leaders in aged care solutions Enware discusses the increasing responsibility of architects, designers, developers and aged care managers to rethink aged care design, with particular focus on how to better provide wellness, independence and quality of life to residents.
The critical importance of this rethink is evidenced in recent design principles set down by the Australian Government’s Department of Health which focus on the ‘promotion of wellness and strengthening prevention’, as well as initiatives such as the ‘Living Longer Living Better’ reform which identifies wellness as one of the key philosophies and approaches to the delivery of aged care services.
The paper also explores the connection between water and wellness, and how accessibility to water can significantly impact daily life for aged care residents.
Easy access to water can enable aged care residents to perform seemingly menial tasks such as washing, cooking and cleaning, or making a cup of tea, which while simple, are central to living a normal life, and assist in promoting confidence and independence.
Finally the paper looks at modern tapware solutions designed specifically for the aged care sector to enhance independence and accessibility of water use through key design elements which include ergonomic principles that assist users with limited physical movement, as well as intuitive, easy to use operation that accommodates for degenerating physical and mental ability.
CLICK HERE to download the free white paper ‘Providing Wellness, Independence and Quality of Life: The Shift in Fundamental Design Principles for Aged Care’.
