Nursing home invests in 31 dementia-friendly bathrooms
“We’re able to enhance the care that the care home staff are able to provide to their residents”
Grade II listed Lypiatt Lodge nursing home has completed the first phase in the renovation of 31 luxury dementia-friendly en-suite bathrooms with accessible bathroom manufacturer AKW.
Situated in a striking period house in the heart of Cheltenham, Lypiatt Lodge provides specialist nursing care to residents with both long term and respite needs. The nursing home was acquired by Fidelia Care Limited in 2015 and, after evaluating the needs of residents and assessing the home’s existing facilities, the new owners decided to undertake a full refurbishment of the property in order to update the site and better support residents, especially those with dementia.
Fidelia contracted the refurbishment of the property to Beltaine Designs, an independent spatial and interior design consultancy service. Fidelia was aware of AKW’s reputation as a market leader in the design and supply of high quality dementia-friendly bathroom products, and recommended Beltaine Designs work in partnership with AKW to ensure all bathrooms within the nursing home were dementia-friendly to meet the wide range of needs of its residents.
After a comprehensive survey of all 31 en-suite bathrooms to determine the needs of residents, AKW is now overseeing the full lifecycle of the bathroom renovations, from initial consultation and design to installation and testing. The first phase of eight bathroom refurbishments has been completed with the remainder being installed over the next 2-3 years.
The bathrooms have been fitted with TMV3 approved thermostatic mixer taps with extended levers for easy operation, bathroom wall panels and wall boards, bathroom lights and extractor fans. The company also provided Electric Low Surface Temperature radiators, which eliminate burning accidents, and a range of specialist showering facilities, including low level access, walk-in showers and wet rooms.
The new bathrooms feature a contemporary aesthetic and provide residents with a safer, more functional environment that allows for easy, comfortable and risk-free use of the bathroom.
Karen Horne, Managing Director of Beltaine Designs said: “The professional survey of the bathrooms undertaken by AKW’s team made things easy for me and our contractors and the overall service has been excellent. We’re able to enhance the care that the care home staff are able to provide to their residents as a direct result of AKW’s assistance.”