3 minute read
Time to put the right demands on healthcare interiors
Research and studies clearly show that the physical environment has an impact on people's well-being and quality of life. But does this research reach planners of new residential care facilities? In modern care environments, the focus needs to be on the individual. Therefore, the interior design solution must be based on the unique needs and conditions of the facility. To create sustainable and health-promoting care environments, the knowledge and experience of many different stakeholders must be considered and the right demands must be put on the interior design. Not until then are health economic effects achieved.
Knowledge about how care environments are designed has come a long way in the last decades. Still, there is much left to be desired in practical application. Not much progress has been made in how interiors in care envionments are planned and procured. Rather than using the latest research on focusing on the individual and the importance of the physical environment, what is often sought are norms that were established in the 1980s.
Generally, interior design aspects are brought into the process much too late. What is needed here is renewal and a holistic view of interior design from the very beginning of the project, a physical environment that is based on solid knowledge, identifi ed needs and the right demands. This will result in long-term, sustainable investments.
The time for change is now. In the coming years, there will be a rising need for care, especially for residential care facilities. It is really high time to highlight the value and priorities of the physical environment. It is becoming increasingly apparent that these care environments need interiors designed to support the people who live in them and to facilitate so they can tackle any kind of challenge. It is time to put the right demands on healthcare interiors!
HOW CARE ENVIRONMENTS OF THE FUTURE ARE CREATED
Future-proof care environments not only take hard values, such as functionality, hygiene and ergonomics, into consideration, but also soft values such as aesthetics, fragrances and fl avours.
In such environments, colour and contrast are used to make it easier to fi nd one’s way around, to feel safe and to be stimulated. Here, there are natural, inclusive areas for interaction, movement and rest. The furniture is ergonomically correct, fl exible and easily cared for, while being designed with soft shapes and natural, tactile materials that give a sense of warmth and of home. Such well-considered interior design, based on knowledge and identifi ed needs, helps enable residents to live as well and as independently as possible. It facilitates for staff, giving them more time and energy to devote to nursing, and makes relatives feel welcome and more involved. Essentially, these are environments that help people thrive during sensitive phases of life.
INSPIRING EXAMPLES
We at Kinnarps work continuously with leading experts, researchers and staff within the healthcare sector. Coming up, you will fi nd interviews with some of them
on the importance of physical environments, focusing on residential care facilities for the elderly. We will also take a closer look at three specifi c care environments
– an entrance, a dining area and a living room. Around them, we have created examples of what we see as health-promoting, sustainable interior design solutions.
We welcome you to read and be inspired by the examples and the interviews - and to refl ect on how your
physical environment supports your health care facility. You can also read about Kinnarps Next Care ® , our method of creating customised interior design solutions. Happy reading!
