MANUAL FOR CREATING HEALING SPACES

MANUAL FOR CREATING HEALING SPACES

CONTENT INTRODUCTION 3 WHAT ARE HEALING SPACES? REQUIREMENTS FOR FURNITURE

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FURNISHING 30 5 STEPS TO HEALING SPACES

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AS LONG AS YOU LIVE, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO A LIFE It can happen in the blink of an eye, at any time in life. Or it can happen gradually as we age. But everyone comes to a point in life where we or someone we love can no longer manage daily life unaided. In this situation, we expect to be treated as the people and individuals we are – based on our personal needs and in a fair and equal manner.

How healthcare and nursing environments are designed is of great importance to our well-being. At Kinnarps we want to share our insights – knowledge based on many years of experience and collaboration – with experts in the field. We have seen that the best results are achieved when hard and soft values work together, with the focus on the individual. And we have learned what is needed to go all the way in creating what we refer to as healing spaces.

This manual is for those who want to make a smaller or greater change to an existing healthcare environment or who are in the process of designing a completely new healthcare environment.

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VA D Ä R L Ä K A N D E R U M? RUMMET

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M Ö B E R N A 3 4 K I N N A R P S N E X T C A R E ® 4 2

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FURNISHING WITH THE RIGHT FURNITURE AND FUNCTIONS IN THE RIGHT PLACE IS A GOOD, LONG-TERM INVESTMENT SUPPORT. Interior design that makes cleaning and rearrangement easier saves staff time. The fact that the furniture also makes it easier for the user to be as independent as possible – without the risk of falling or ending up in situations that require help – also saves time. This time can be used to improve the quality of care.

HEALTH. Interior design solutions that support, stimulate and activate the individual in daily life increase well-being. Less heavy lifting and smooth, flexible solutions reduce the burden and stress on the staff.

SUSTAINABILITY. Well designed furniture is not only sustainable from the point of view of quality. It’s a future-proof investment in the form of timeless shapes and functions that meet the needs of tomorrow.

IDENTITY. Well designed interior design solutions give the healthcare environment an attractive identity for users, relatives and staff.

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WHAT ARE HEALING SPACES? A healing space is an environment in which an individual feels safe, stimulated and included. A place in which you feel at home, where you are comfortable and you feel seen. Environments that increase well-being and thereby support the healing process. Simply put, spaces where there is a focus on healthcare and nursing.

Research shows that the physical environment has an actual influence on our well-being. Being able to live or spend time in a place that suits us and where we feel at home, and where we have the best opportunities for a rich social life and meaningful activity, is decisive for our well-being.

When the interior design harmonises with our senses, the scene is set for care spaces that can be stimulating, calming and healing.

By identifying the services and needs of the care facility, we create the basis for an optimal, inspiring and inclusive interior design solution.

In healing spaces, hard and soft values work together. Experiences in the form of sight, feeling, hearing, smell and taste meet practical solutions in the form of the right furniture in the right place.

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HARD VALUES National and local legal and safety requirements Functional requirements (p. 13-23) Hygiene requirements (p. 13-23) Ergonomic requirements (p. 13-23)

SOFT VALUES It should be easy to understand the function of the furniture (p. 13-23) Aesthetics (p. 13-23, 24-25) Sensory experiences (p. 13-23, 32-33, 34-35)

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The optimum healthcare environment, healing spaces, is achieved when the physical environment consists of hard and soft values in the form of sensory experiences. In order to succeed with the transformation or creation of a healthcare and nursing environment, it is important to reach a consensus and create a clear vision about the project, not least by involving the staff.

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GUN AREMYR AUTHOR AND SUPERVISOR ”IN THE PAST, WE HAD NURSING HOMES WHERE WE CARED FOR SICK PEOPLE AS A GROUP. TODAY WE HAVE NURSING HOMES WHICH CARE FOR INDIVIDUALS.”

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Gun Aremyr is one of Sweden’s leading experts in dementia. Since 1987, she has met people with dementia, their relatives and staff in her role as occupational therapist, supervisor, lecturer and family counsellor. She has also written five books on the subject.

HOW HAS OUR PERCEPTION OF CARE OF

WHAT IS THE GREATEST FUTURE CHALLENGE FOR

THE ELDERLY CHANGED OVER TIME?

CARE OF THE ELDERLY AND DEMENTIA PATIENTS?

In the past, we had nursing homes where we cared for

Creating a dementia-friendly society, since a dementia-

sick people as a group. Today we have nursing homes

friendly society is a society which is good for all

and retirement homes where individuals with illnesses

individuals – regardless of whether they are sick

and disabilities receive assistance. In the mid-1900s,

or healthy, old or young. Slowing down the pace when

it was believed that dementia was part of ageing and

needed. At the checkout in shops as well as in health-

that not much could be done about it. Nursing care was

care and nursing. Actually in all situations where

certainly good but wards were large and all patients had

a person with dementia has to make a decision.

the same clothing. Those who could sit up were placed,

We must talk to each other instead of talking at each

sometimes using a belt to hold them, in easy chairs

other. The surroundings should also provide clear

along the walls in corridors and in the day room. Today

signals about where I am. This could be signs in

we know that dementia is a cognitive disease and that

a shop or toilet doors with a special colour and a text

the individuals who suffer from it are just individuals.

or symbol that means that I’m in the right place.

When you require 24-hour care, you get your own flat which you furnish with your own furniture. In common

DO YOU THINK THAT DECISION-MAKERS

rooms and kitchens, efforts are made to create an

KNOW WHAT REQUIREMENTS THEY SHOULD

environment where people can socialise.

SET AS REGARDS INTERIOR DESIGN IN

HOW DO YOU DEFINE THE TERM

We should get better at involving staff from different

HEALTHCARE ENVIRONMENTS? HEALING SPACES?

professions before the restoration and construction

A healing space is a space where I can feel safe,

of residential homes. We must remember that assistant

where I get stimulation but can also find peace and

nurses, nurses and rehab staff have particular points

quiet. We experience life through our senses. Because

of view regarding what is required in the environment.

of my cognitive impairment, I often have difficulty

High quality pays off in the long run, and so does

concentrating, and chaotic environments inhibit me.

getting it right from the start.

In a healing space, all our senses have therefore been taken into consideration: vision, hearing, touch, taste, smell, sense of muscles and joints and sense of balance. Interior design in a nursing home must create a sense of safety and provide the opportunity for both rest and stimulation. An attractive, appealing environment respects me as a person, but a low-quality, worn-out environment can be interpreted as meaning that I’m not important.

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DESIGN OF HEALING SPACES It is all about respect, understanding and empathy for users, staff and relatives. This is an environment where all individuals can interact, feel safe and be seen. Furnish with options for undemanding stimulation of all the senses! The interior design solution must offer variety and give access to different types of spaces which meet many different requirements. Flexibility is important, so that the environment can easily be customised for different activities.

The furniture must be – and be perceived to be – safe and steady and not at risk of tipping or overturning. For example, always choose anti-tipping armchairs.

Choose colours which facilitate orientation and remember to create strong contrasts, for example between the wall and floor colours and between the colour of the table and the chairs around it. The furniture must be clearly visible against the flooring and walls. It is also important that the environment is free from glare.

Use sound-absorbing material to avoid disruptive noise, but do not hesitate to play sounds that awaken positive memories. Choose materials that are and feel like what they appear to be, for example real wood instead of wood-imitation laminate. It is also important to choose materials and solutions that reduce the risk of fire and facilitate evacuation.

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REQUIREMENTS FOR FURNITURE

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REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO FURNITURE CHOICE HARD REQUIREMENTS Controlled by functional requirements, safety requirements, hygiene requirements and ergonomic requirements.

The option of different heights and widths for customisation.

Removable fabrics which can be washed at 60 degrees.

Tip-proof armrest brackets that do not go too far forward towards

the edge of the seat.

Gap between seat and back to avoid bacterial pockets.

The surface of the furniture must be extra hardwearing and wipe-clean.

No sharp edges.

Adjustable furniture for comfort, sitting position variation

and pressure relief.

Armchairs that are suitable for hanging to facilitate cleaning.

Stackable chairs and foldable tables for flexibility and space efficiency.

Furnishing with sound-absorbent materials for a good acoustic

environment.

SOFT REQUIREMENTS Based on aesthetic and sensory experiences.

The furniture must signify safety.

It should be easy to understand the furniture and its function.

The furniture should have features that are adapted to all our senses.

The option of choosing the furniture colour. Contrasting colours

where needed.

The furniture should have nice natural materials to touch.

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Stackable chairs increase flexibility and provide space efficiency.

Castors for ease of movement of the chair.

Chairs that are suitable for hanging facilitate cleaning.

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ARMCHAIRS

The option of different heights for customisation. The standard

height is 45-47 cm but 50-52 cm and 60-65 cm should also be available for those who have had a hip operation, for example.

The chair must be stable and have suitable armrest brackets.

Tip-proof armrest brackets that do not go too far forward towards

the edge of the seat.

The chair must be easy to handle for users and staff.

Several variants in a chair family make it easier to customise

and provide aesthetic advantages.

It must be possible to fit the chair with castors.

Stackable chairs increase flexibility.

Chairs that are suitable for hanging facilitate cleaning.

It must be possible to fit the chair with a sound-absorbing seat

and felt furniture pads for a good acoustic environment.

Choose removable and washable fabric (60 degrees) or artificial

leather on seats and back and rubber textile on seats.

Always choose chairs with a gap between the seat and back, so that

unnecessary dirt does not gather and it is easy to keep clean.

Easy-grip handles for ease of movement.

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FUNCTIONAL EASY CHAIRS

The option of different heights for customisation. The standard

height is 45-47 cm but 50-52 cm should also be available.

Variable adjustment for pressure relief.

Easily accessible user controls.

Easy-grip handles that assist with movement.

Adjustable seat depth, trunk support and a neck cushion.

Gap between seat and back.

Rubber textile in seat.

Removable, washable fabric (60 degrees) or artificial leather.

Foldable arms for ease of movement from and to wheelchairs.

Should be available in a variant with castors and a footplate

or footstool.

Foldable arms for ease of movement from and to wheelchairs.

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EASY CHAIRS AND SOFAS

The option of different heights for customisation. The standard

height is 45-47 cm but 50-52 cm should also be available.

The furniture must be stable and have suitable armrest brackets.

Several variants in a family of furniture make it easier to customise

and provide aesthetic advantages.

Choose removable and washable fabric (60 degrees) or artificial leather

on seats and back and rubber textile on seats.

Always choose seating furniture with a gap between the seat and back,

so that unnecessary dirt does not gather and it is easy to keep clean.

Choose a sofa which has a gap between seat and back. Then unnecessary dirt does not gather and it is easy to keep clean.

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TABLES

The option of different heights for customisation. The standard

height is 73-77 cm but 78-82 cm should also be available for space for wheelchairs and 90 cm for those who have had a hip operation.

A vertically adjustable table is useful as it can be adapted.

The option of different shapes and dimensions of tabletop for

customisation to activities and current seating furniture.

Adaptation to different types of common wheelchairs.

Must be possible to disinfect.

It must be possible to fit with a sound-absorbing tabletop for a good

acoustic environment.

Option of tables which can be fitted with lockable castors for flexibility

and safety.

Different table shapes allow for different furniture combinations.

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AVOID Institutional and waiting room-style furniture.

Furniture with sharp edges and corners.

Loud noise levels and scraping chairs.

Striped, spotted and small-patterned fabrics.

Art which can create scary illusions.

Placing furniture with the back towards a doorway.

Shadows and reflections on shiny surfaces.

Disturbing signs with superfluous information,

for example ”Electric cabinet”.

NEW TECHNOLOGY PROVIDES NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Choose quiet technology – for example quiet alarms over

old sounding versions.

Wireless headphones can help people enjoy music without

disturbing others.

Night supervision using cameras provides safety without residents

being woken up by someone opening the door and looking in.

GPS trackers provide freedom of movement.

Communications technology, for example video calls,

facilitate contact with relatives and friends.

Wall-mounted monitors make it possible to show photos and films.

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PRODUCT CHOICE GUIDE The care facility’s needs, requirements and priorities are the basis for product selection. A clear table explains what each product choice entails.

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Is the following important...

Remember that...

environment/quality/social responsibility?

Möbelfakta’s criteria meet the requirements.

the origin and environmental impact of the raw wood?

FSC®-labelled products ensure the requirements are met.

sustainability performance?

The Better Effect Index gives a broader view of the product’s sustainability aspects, which are more than just environmental parameters.

customised products for a variety of body shapes?

choose a family of products which offers an XL model.

customised products with respect to different body lengths?

choose a family of products which offers a seat height of +45 cm.

patient safety?

dining chairs must have full arms to prevent falls.

hygiene?

there must be rubber textile under the product’s fabric.

washability?

choose furniture with removable and washable covers.

support when pulling the chair out or pushing it in?

the front legs of the armchair should have castors with tipping protection.

freedom of choice when it comes to colours and fabrics?

choose furniture which offers different types of stains and fabric variants.

access to floor surface for cleaning?

armchairs must be suitable for hanging.

flexibility in furnishing and customisation to a varying number of wheelchairs?

armchairs must be stackable.

a good acoustic environment?

chairs must be fitted with a sound absorber and felt furniture pads.

FSC®

Environment

The Better Effect Index

Sustainability performance

XL

Individualised

Seat height 45+

Individualised

Tip-proof full arm

Safety

Rubber textile

Hygiene

Removable, washable upholstery

Hygiene

Castors

Support

All choices of fabric/stain

Design

Suspendable

Cleaning

Stackable with castors

Flexibility

Sound absorbent

Acoustic environment

· · · · · · · · · · · · ·

· · · · · · · · · · ·

IDUN

Quality/Environment

ELIN

Möbelfakta SE

ELLINOR

ERIK

JACKIE

ARMCHAIR

· · · · · · · · · ·

· · · · · · · · · ·

· · · · · · · · · ·

The table shows an example of a selection of Kinnarps chairs and the needs they meet.

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PETER ANDERSSON DESIGNER ”THE FURNITURE SHOULD NOT RADIATE ILLNESS OR WEAKNESS.”

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Peter Andersson is a designer with many years’ experience of designing healthcare and nursing furniture. He meets the needs of users and staff through inclusive design.

HOW DO YOU WORK WITH INCLUSIVE DESIGN?

a number of functional and ergonomic requirements.

Inclusive design is about not excluding anyone.

But it’s very important that the furniture also has

Everyone should be able to sit on a chair and get up

aesthetic value, that it doesn’t compromise on beauty.

out of it, regardless of their condition. Of course there

There are horrifying examples of task chairs that look

should be alternatives for wheelchair users. Furniture

like tanks. I want my furniture to signify care and

must be inviting and easy to read. I should immediately

to surprise people; it can be as simple as a leather

feel that I can sit here. Once I’ve sat down, I must be

strap that holds the cushion.

able to sit comfortably, get help with my posture, but still be able to relax. If it’s possible to adjust the chair,

HOW DO YOU THINK HEALTHCARE

the handle should be easy to find and it must be easy

AND NURSING ENVIRONMENTS SHOULD

to understand how it works. In my opinion, it’s also

BE FURNISHED?

important to include the staff. Well-designed furniture

The most important thing is to look at the whole

can make their work easier. If the design can help

picture. If you only choose furniture for functional

users to get in and out of the chair independently,

reasons – functional easy chairs, section seating

staff can avoid heavy lifting. Flexible furniture that

and dining seating that doesn’t match – and put

isn’t heavy and can be moved using handles and

it in a room, there’s a risk that it will make a chaotic

castors, or be hung on the tables, helps when

impression. Many elderly people are sensitive to

it comes to rearranging furniture and cleaning.

chaotic environments. Look for coherence and choose furniture that has an affinity or matches. Personally,

WHAT DOES A HEALING SPACE MEAN TO YOU?

I think that furniture should feel fresh and new in finish

It’s a space where I can be a human being – not

and shape. I think there’s a misconception that old

a patient. A space where I feel that I can be myself.

people only want to be surrounded by old things.

And that’s something I try to take into account when

Healthcare and nursing environments can be furnished

I’m designing furniture. The furniture should not radiate

with a combination of the old and new. Naturally, things

illness or weakness. Furniture should be furniture,

that have a history and carry memories are important,

and of course it must also have features that support

but it’s possible to create a homely environment that

and help me in my life. Designing furniture for health­

reflects the present and gives a pleasant sense that

care and nursing means that I have to take into account

life is happening here and now.

”THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE PICTURE. IF YOU ONLY CHOOSE FURNITURE FOR FUNCTIONAL REASONS – FUNCTIONAL EASY CHAIRS, SECTION SEATING AND DINING SEATING THAT DOESN’T MATCH – AND PUT IT IN A ROOM, THERE’S A RISK THAT IT WILL MAKE A CHAOTIC IMPRESSION.” 25

SPACE FOR NOTES

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SPACE FOR NOTES

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SUSTAINABILITY MÖBELFAKTA A Swedish furniture label with a clear focus on sustainability.

It covers product standards within the areas of quality and environment, plus supplier standards of social responsibility.

FSC ® A label for responsible forest management. FSC-labelled furniture is made from wood from environmentally-adapted, socially responsible and economically sound forestry.

THE BETTER EFFECT INDEX The Better Effect Index is Kinnarps’ way of simplifying and clarifying sustainability work in interior design projects.

The products are ranked according to an index that takes into account their features in six different sustainability areas. The index answers important questions about the origin and features of the products and makes it possible to compare them. At kinnarps.com you can search for different products for healthcare and nursing and see their index.

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FURNISHING

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INCLUSIVE DESIGN WHICH SUPPORTS THE INDIVIDUAL When furniture is easy to understand and use, it supports the individual and brings considerable benefits to society, for example in the form of fewer fall injuries and less strain on backs. This can be a matter of such simple things as furniture that is easy to lift and to hang up when a room is cleaned, or that has removable and washable upholstery.

Height-adjustable tabletops, foldable tables and stackable chairs are further examples of solutions that give flexibility in everyday use. They make the interior design a future-proofed, long-term good investment that can be modified to suit changing needs.

GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT FURNISHING How does the interior design solution reflect the facility’s vision?

What requirements are there?

What sort of activity is the room intended for?

How can you use the space?

Is there a need to be able to refurnish?

How many people will be in the room at the same time?

What are the different needs and which ones are important?

How can the interior design affect the noise level in the room?

How wide are the corridors and how can they be furnished

with regard to fire safety?

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THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SENSES I feel, therefore I am. It is through our senses that we experience that we and our surroundings exist. People with a cognitive impairment can have difficulty concentrating and chaotic environments may hinder them. Furnishing with and for the senses ensures that the physical environment can help improve the well-being of individuals.

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VISION Visual experiences with colour, shape and

or cinnamon buns sends a message of warmth,

views create positive feelings. If there is no window

consideration and homeliness and creates a positive

with a view of nature, beautiful flowers and plants or

experience. People’s sense of smell often diminishes

a painting with a nature motif can fulfil similar needs.

due to ageing and dementia. There is also a tendency

Contrasts, close up and at a distance, help people

for people to get used to smells that they are exposed

with impaired vision to better understand their

to over a long period of time.

surroundings. Stronger lighting makes things easier for older people and those with cataracts. If you

TASTE The sense of taste is dependent on the sense

want to direct the eye to an area or particular object

of smell and generally diminishes due to ageing and

in the room, you can light it up. Choose monochrome

dementia. The other senses also contribute to the

wallpaper and textiles and avoid patterns with small

sense of taste. If the furnishing of a dining room

dots that can easily cause anxiety.

is attractive, the food tastes better when you are sitting at the table.

HEARING Playing sounds is an effective way to create positive experiences. Proximity to water has

MUSCLES AND JOINTS Muscles and joints give

been essential to human survival throughout evolution

the brain information about how our body parts are

and the sound of rippling water or waves can feel calm

activated. Safe and robust interior design facilitates

and harmonious (but remember that it may also cause

this. Chairs and easy chairs must have the right seat

concern for some individuals or make people feel like

height and be easy to get into and out of – and the

they need to go to the toilet). Bird twitter and music

seat surface should not cut into the backs of the

are good alternatives. People with impaired hearing

knees. It should be possible to adjust the backrest

often have problems with noise, and the interior

individually, for example using firm cushions. It must

design should meet their requirements.

be possible to adjust the seating position to activate muscles and joints, avoiding pressure which can

TOUCH Touch is another way for us to interpret and

result in pain and pressure sores at the same time.

adapt to our environment. It is also strongly linked

The interior design should be such that furniture

to our well-being; another person’s touch lowers the

is not in the way when residents want to go for

heart rate and blood pressure and causes the body

a walk with or without a walking frame.

to secrete endorphins, a substance with pain-relieving properties. Furnish with well-known materials such

SENSE OF BALANCE

as wood and soft, safe shapes. A round armrest in

People with poor balance need safe surfaces that

wood which provides supports for the hands creates

provide support and help: robust tables to lean on

an entirely different experience from a narrow angular

and seating furniture with proper armrests which is

armrest. The structures of the material can also

easy to get into and out of. Furniture can also be used

make it easier to know where you are.

to create a positive balance experience. Being rocked is a feeling we remember from the womb and which

SMELL The smell of a place says a lot about its

feels calming and satisfying. A rocking chair which

properties and the values of the individuals who stay

cannot overturn but recreates the same movement

there. An environment which smells good shows

is pleasant for resting in.

that the space is complete, tidy and well-cleaned.

That is why it is so important that the furniture is easy to wash and dry. You can also actively add positive scents – but keep in mind that some people may have allergies. The scent of freshly baked bread

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CONTRAST AND COLOUR Contrasts and colours are not only important aesthetically. Consciously working with them in the environment can help to improve well-being and make spatial orientation easier. On the other hand, the wrong colours can confuse residents and create anxiety.

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AGEING EYES FIND IT Harder to perceive contrasts.

Have reduced perception of the intensity and saturation of colours

(red can, for example, be perceived as pink and purple as grey).

Difficult to differentiate between different shades of blue.

SO REMEMBER TO

Work with colour contrasts between walls and skirting boards by painting

the skirting boards a darker colour.

Paint the walls with windows in a lighter shade than the other walls

to improve room perception.

Camouflage doors that should not draw attention by painting them

the same colour as the wall.

Choose discrete textiles and wallpaper, preferably monochrome.

Avoid striped, spotted and zigzag patterns as well as small patterns

that can cause confusion and anxiety.

Use contrasting colours that have different brightnesses.

Choose furniture in a colour that contrasts with the floor and walls

so they are easy to distinguish.

Use different colours for different rooms to highlight the function

of the room.

Lighting is important to avoid shadows. Even ambient lighting helps

provide a good light environment and reduces the risk of shadows.

Choose coloured porcelain – it makes the food stand out more

clearly on the plate.

Avoid floors that change from light colours to dark as people

with dementia can see the dark parts as holes in the floor.

Highlight the bannisters by painting them in a different colour.

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ANNE-LI ISGÄRDE, MANAGER FOR CARE OF THE ELDERLY, JÖNKÖPING MUNICIPALITY ”OUR VISION IS TO MAKE EVERYDAY LIFE BEAUTIFUL.”

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At Rosengården residential home in Jönköping, interior design is a top priority.

Anne-Li Isgärde and her colleagues work actively to create stimulating sensory experiences for the residents.

WHAT DOES A ”MORE BEAUTIFUL WEEKDAY”

DO YOU SEE THE RESULTS?

LOOK LIKE AT ROSENGÅRDEN?

We find that our residents and their relatives are very

There should be something beautiful for all the senses.

satisfied. For us the physical environment has become

Fresh cut flowers, aromatic spices and soft rugs.

an important part of the Rosengården brand. We

The scent of cinnamon buns – we bake every day.

have tenants queuing up to come here and staff who

Our residents should feel that they are living in

spontaneously apply for jobs because they’ve heard

a welcoming and homely environment. We have

about our good environment. This gives us an important

the advantage of being close to nature and make

competitive edge in a situation where it would otherwise

the most of it with a large, well-furnished terrace,

be difficult to get staff.

balconies and excursions to the nearby park. We offer two activity options every day and also organise ice hockey evenings, pub nights and spa days with nail care, for example. Everyone is welcome to join in many of the activities, even visiting relatives and guests.

WHAT IS YOUR FURNISHING LIKE? There is no institutional feel here or broken furniture.

We have good interior design, with stable but beautiful furniture for different types of sitting – from functional easy chairs to sofa groups and rocking chairs.

The furniture is sturdy but flexible and easy to move if needed. We have also made use of corridors and passageways to create exciting environments with

”My partner now lives at Rosengården and I was so happy the first time I came here. It smells so nice.

It’s bright, clean and fresh, tidy and in good order.

section seating and a small library. Screens allow

I think that’s really important for overall well-being.

relatives to connect their mobile phone or USB stick

Such simple things as dusting each person’s room

and show photos. We have also installed fireplaces

every day make a big difference. My partner has

which use special fuel.

ISN’T IT A LOT OF EXTRA WORK? No. We have created a special folder system which our staff work with. Everyone knows exactly what they have to do in a working day, which means that everything gets done and we even have extra time

always been a stickler for details and here the staff realise it’s still important to him to have a well-ironed shirt. It’s a beautiful and orderly environment which shows that he matters. I know he’s happy here and I also feel welcome, which is great!”

GUN-ALICE SCHILLER RELATIVE OF RESIDENT AT ROSENGÅRDEN

together with our residents. Daily life is structured and many members of staff say that they find their work meaningful.

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DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF CARE REQUIRE DIFFERENT SPACES The right furniture and functions in the right place create the prerequisites for an optimal environment. Interior design must support users, as well as staff and relatives. The future has completely different requirements for healthcare and nursing environments, and therefore the spaces should be designed with this in mind.

Furnish flexibly by selecting height-adjustable tables, stackable and

suspendable seats and easy chairs on castors. In this way, it is easy to furnish for the current activity in the room. Remember that people with dementia can be negatively affected by an environment in constant change.

Create spontaneous meeting places for interaction.

Make passive spaces, for example corridors or passageways, active,

for example by providing seats where people can rest for a while.

Create rooms within a room. Use screen walls, textiles, bookshelves

you can see through or walls of plants. A sofa with an aesthetically pleasing back can also be used as a screen.

If the facility allows, plan public areas which allow interaction with

the rest of the community. A restaurant, cafĂŠ, library or assembly hall which is open to all can be hired out or shared with a nursery or school.

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ENTRANCE The entrance is often the most overlooked space in a care environment – with lots of potential for development.

The first impression must be welcoming, homely and inspiring. It presents an opportunity to announce the facility’s vision, brand and identity, creating pride and well-being among residents, relatives and personnel, as well as a positive image for the recruitment of new tenants as well as employees. Inclusive design and furnishing with section seating provide a safe and calm waiting area for transport services and visitors, creating space for informal meetings at the same time. The room should be designed and signposted so it is easy to navigate.

The entrance is the external face – giving a good first impression is important, not least from a recruitment point of view.

Let the entrance environment clearly demonstrate the facility’s vision and identity.

Furnishing for the senses: with music, pleasant scents and natural elements such as plants and water.

When furnishing, keep in mind that the entrance is the setting for arrivals, goodbyes, waiting and various kinds of meetings.

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CORRIDORS The corridor can be much more than just a transit route. By designing flexibly with furniture that can be moved when needed, an active environment is created which makes the morning walk more enjoyable and can serve as a spontaneous and inviting meeting place. Use furniture that people can lean against or sit on to rest for a while but that also offers something to look at or to do. However, consider accessibility and fire protection and let the measurements of the corridor dictate the furnishing.

Keep in mind that there must be room for evacuation of hospital beds without the interior design getting in the way.

Use the walls, a monitor on the wall allows relatives to connect their devices and show photos and films.

A library with books and newspapers offers a space for sitting, browsing or borrowing and turns the corridor itself into a destination.

Create inclusive spaces for a moment’s rest and relaxation in the form of beautiful views or memorials.

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DINING ROOM/RESTAURANT/CAFE The dining room/restaurant is at the heart of the facility and should have varied furnishing and seating to strengthen the sense of community. The tables need to be adaptable or already customised for wheelchairs as well as for users with different needs, such as those who have had hip joint surgery. The chairs must be easy to move without making a disturbing noise. Chairs which can be hung from tables make cleaning easy. The dining room is characterised by good acoustics with minimal clatter and noise. Here, sound, light and good smells are extremely important – food simply tastes better if all the senses are satisfied.

Create space in the room, for example by screening off with plants, screen walls or textiles.

Use different heights of furniture.

Use sound absorbers on the walls and chairs with sound-absorbing seats and felt furniture pads or castors for a good acoustic environment.

For many users, the dining room is synonymous with the ’outside world’, decorate with colour, design and inclusive furniture.

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ACTIVITY ROOM It must be possible to use the activity room for any purpose – from morning yoga to needlework and bingo or a course on how to use an e-reader. Therefore, the room should be furnished in a flexible, easy-to-use and ergonomic way, so that furniture can be quickly put away or rearranged. The furnishing encourages activity with stimulating colours and shapes, turning the activity room into an inspiring place that people like to visit to see what is going on.

Stackable chairs/armchairs makes it easy to rearrange furniture and create space when needed.

Foldable but stable tables provide flexible interior design solutions.

Identify all the different activities that take place in the room ordinarily and design accordingly.

Look at what fixed furniture there should be and for what end and purpose.

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ASSEMBLY HALL The obvious place for a film, a concert, a religious service or a 100th birthday celebration. This public space holds larger groups and events and must have flexible furnishings with space for many people without sacrificing the inclusive design. Furnish it with linkable and/or stackable chairs for optimum flexibility and add task chairs or other ergonomically designed seating furniture with castors for those who need extra support. Flexible and foldable tables which can easily be set out and put away are a good addition.

Stackable chairs/armchairs makes it easy to rearrange furniture and create space when needed.

Foldable but stable tables provide flexible interior design solutions.

Round tables in different heights with matching chairs allow the assembly hall to be used for festive meals and not just as an auditorium.

Add lounge furniture for rest and relaxation.

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STAFFROOM A room for privacy which can be reached and left quickly and is furnished with a focus on recovery and togetherness. The staff room should be furnished for a variety of different functions. Section seating or a sofa group can be supplemented with a dining area, and administrative work also requires ergonomically correct desks and task chairs. Good storage makes it easy to keep things tidy and improves well-being.

Room dividers, for example screens, make it possible to create different activity zones in the staffroom.

Seating furniture at different heights allows varied activity – from rest to more active sitting.

Seating furniture with high backs and enclosing sides provides peace and privacy for those who want to relax with a book or speak on the phone.

Reading chairs enable relaxation.

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DAY ROOM The department’s day room can be regarded as the residents’ home environment and must signify homeliness and belonging. The room should be furnished flexibly with spaces for meals, socialisation and relaxation, with a focus on the individual’s needs and well-being. The day room can be divided into several smaller rooms for different functions, but most of the time it is a large room where you can create spaces within the room using textiles, screens or storage units. The furnishing must meet the need for social gatherings and individual activities with the option of moving between the different spaces.

Keep in mind that the furniture often serves as a room divider and that the back of a sofa or shelf sometimes becomes the front. Therefore, choose furniture that is aesthetically pleasing from all angles.

Swap the sofa and easy chair around the coffee table for a slightly higher table with easy chairs only.

Then everyone gets their own space, and it is easy to move around the common spaces in a wheelchair.

A sofa is easily seen as being taken if one person is sitting on it. A middle armrest on the sofa makes it natural for others to sit on it and the seats can be used by more people.

Furnish with easily accessible storage units for books, newspapers and games next to furniture providing comfortable seating. This makes the day room a popular meeting place.

Place suspendable, stackable and sound-absorbent armchairs in different sizes around the dining hall.

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OWN ROOM The individual’s room offers a private sphere for rest and recovery in solitude. Tenants furnish their rooms according to their own taste with personal items, which creates a safe and homely feeling. Residents’ own rooms can be supplemented with furniture specially designed for healthcare and nursing environments for increased functionality.

Combine the user’s own furniture with functional healthcare furniture.

A safe and secure armchair is important at mealtimes.

Use tables that are suitable for wheelchairs.

Provide a functional easy chair that allows users to get in and out of the chair themselves and sit comfortably while watching TV, reading, talking or resting.

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LISA WÄNSTRÖM ARCHITECT SEMRÉN & MÅNSSON ”GOOD SPATIAL ENVIRONMENTS CAN REDUCE ANXIETY AND PAIN.”

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Lisa Wänström is an architect with 15 years’ experience specialising in care home architecture. Together with her colleagues at Semrén & Månsson’s care studio, she creates healthcare and nursing environments which provide patients and residents with positive distraction.

WHAT IS EVIDENCE-BASED ARCHITECTURE?

HOW DO YOU THINK HEALTHCARE

The term evidence-based architecture, or evidence-­

AND NURSING ENVIRONMENTS SHOULD

based design, is based on measurable knowledge

BE FURNISHED?

of the significance of architecture in a good healing

This type of environment is complex, since many

environment. We work a lot on what is known as

technical requirements, for example fire protection

’positive distraction’. Research shows that healthcare

and infection control, affect the design of the space

environments with certain features can help to reduce

and the furnishing options. The earlier interior design

stress, anxiety and pain, which can accelerate recovery

and furniture are involved in the process, the better.

and reduce the need for painkillers. Positive distraction

Furnishing at a later stage will, of course, not be as

can be achieved, for example, by providing views,

good. Sometimes I also think that unnecessarily

preferably of nature, or by placing greenery in the room.

bulky furniture is chosen just because it’s a healthcare

It is also important to provide daylight since it helps

environment. But it doesn’t have to be like that.

to maintain circadian rhythms and good sleep. Good

There’s plenty of sturdy, ergonomic furniture available

art is another good example of positive distraction,

in beautiful and inclusive designs. In my experience,

but it is important what you choose – art should not

entrances and corridors are often forgotten. There

contribute to raised anxiety.

are great opportunities here to make the healthcare environment more inspiring. The staffroom is also

HOW DO YOU CREATE HEALING SPACES?

very important. Here there is an opportunity to create

I work a lot on positive distraction. Good, beautiful

a patient-free zone where staff can relax and do

and natural materials which give a sense of well-being

administrative work. Also, remember to add greenery

are also important. The spaces should stimulate

outside the residence. Often, a landscape architect

movement, corridors should be laid out so that

is only called in to work with an allocated area after

residents have a fine view and the stairs are designed

everything is finished. Engage a landscape architect

so that they are attractive and comfortable to

from the very start!

move around.

”THE EARLIER INTERIOR DESIGN AND FURNITURE ARE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS, THE BETTER. FURNISHING AT A LATER STAGE WILL, OF COURSE, NOT BE AS GOOD. SOMETIMES YOU CHOOSE UNNECESSARILY BULKY FURNITURE JUST BECAUSE IT’S A HEALTHCARE ENVIRONMENT. THERE’S PLENTY OF STURDY, ERGONOMIC FURNITURE AVAILABLE IN BEAUTIFUL AND INCLUSIVE DESIGNS.”

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KINNARPS ® NEXT CARE

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A METHOD THAT SHOWS THE WAY TO THE CARE ENVIRONMENTS OF TOMORROW Kinnarps Next Care® is a philosophy and method of creating optimal care environments that takes the particular needs of the facility into account with a focus on the individual. It helps to provide a basic understanding of how care environments can be actively designed to stimulate the healing process as well as to describe the requirements that should be set for interior design in such environments. Based on current research – and in collaboration with healthcare providers, users, relatives, architects and designers – we create interior design solutions that support the user, staff and relatives in their daily lives.

Kinnarps Next Care® is a process with five clear steps involving all the project’s stakeholders – from the creation of a common vision to a complete interior design solution and follow-up.

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FIVE STEPS TO HE ALING SPACES

1

You can choose to order steps 1 and 2 as a separate service from us.

INSPIRATION & VISION

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How can we create healing spaces? In cooperation with stakeholders in the care facility, decision-makers and responsible architects, we conduct lectures and study visits for inspiration and reflection. In the first step, we consider the facility’s vision and how it can be reflected in the interior design.

WORKSHOP In a half-day workshop, we present our skills and our insights about healing interior design solutions – insights based on experience, research and collaborations. We describe how inclusive design and flexible solutions can be used to support individuals, staff and relatives. We base our work on the Manual for Creating Healing Spaces with specific requirements and practical solutions, and discuss how the right solution can enhance well-being, save time, make work easier and improve safety. How, for example, can a few centimetres difference in the height of a chair seat, or materials in contrasting colours, be decisive for the function and use of furniture?

2

3

CONCRETISATION How can the facility’s vision be put into practice?

What prerequisites, requirements and wishes do you have? Starting from the results of the workshop, and in consultation with you and everyone involved in the project, we draw up a concrete interior design proposal.

IMPLEMENTATION When we deliver the interior design to your new care environment, we use our own environmentally friendly transport where we protect the furniture with blankets instead of disposable packaging.

The furniture is carried in and assembled by our fitters. Your Kinnarps contact is, of course, on site to make sure that the result is right and that everyone understands how the interior design is to be used so that it works optimally.

5

FOLLOW UP

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Does the new care environment reflect your facility’s vision? Does the interior design solution support, inspire, stimulate and enliven every individual?

These are the questions we discuss and evaluate at the planned follow-up meetings.

If you would like to know more, or order the Kinnarps Next Care® service, get in touch and we’ll tell you more.

Find your nearest office at kinnarps.com/showrooms

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WITH KINNARPS NEXT CARE ® YOU GET AN INNOVATIVE AND FUTURE-PROOF TOTAL SOLUTION FOR HEALTHCARE AND NURSING ENVIRONMENTS A n environment that inspires, stimulates and enlivens everyone

who spends time in it.

A homely, relaxing environment that supports the individual in their

day-to-day activities.

A sustainable, flexible, space-efficient interior design that can be customised to suit many different needs, and makes the most of every area in the care environment.

A n environment that is secure, and easy to understand and find your

way around. An environment that makes the staff’s work easier and gives them more time for the residents.

I mproved well-being for everyone, because everyone benefits from

the variation of moving between different kinds of sensory experiences and ergonomically correct environments.

A n environment that strengthens, distinguishes and signals the facility’s

vision and brand.

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FIND OUT MORE Gun Aremyr and Helle Wijk.

Environmental adaptations that contribute to increased participation.

Agency for Participation.

Gun Aremyr and Helle Wijk.

Checklist - Environmental adaptations that contribute to increased participation.

Agency for Participation.

Ed. Helle Wijk.

The importance of health care, Student literature.

Hanna Falk.

There is no escape from getting old – Older persons’ experiences of environmental change in residential care, University of Gothenburg.

Roger Ulrich.

Evidence base for care architecture 1.0.

Research as support for the design of the physical health environment. Chalmers University of Technology.

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