Categorised | Family, Health & Lifestyle

How To Make An Assisted Living Centre Feel Like Home

For many older people, assisted living is the best choice for them to carry on an independent life with some help. For some though, this decision can be very hard, and they may worry about living somewhere that feels like a hospital instead of a home. If you manage an assisted living centre, there are some ways you can help to make it feel like a real home to make your residents feel more comfortable and much happier. 

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Respect There May Be Challenges

Some of your retired residents may not be all that thrilled to be moving in. It’s important to respect that, and not push too hard to make them settle in. Gentle encouragement is always going to go down better than a forced approach with someone who is struggling with the transition.

Make Things Comfortable

Any shared spaces need to be as comfortable as possible. Avoid making the spaces feel sterile by using a company who can advise on the best architecture and decor, like aged-care construction experts. They can help you to create a space that is both functional and comfortable. 

Think about what home comforts residents will appreciate in communal spaces. Invest in comfortable seating that is supportive, like quality recliners. Add in plenty of soft furnishings in relaxing colours, like blankets and cushions. Hang some cheerful artwork to brighten things up. 

Allow Room For Personalisation

The best way to make a retirement home feel like an actual home is to allow space for your residents to bring in some comforts from their own home. While their own rooms are an obvious place for their own things to go, it can also help if there is somewhere in communal space for some personalisation too. Perhaps they could put their own scatter cushions on their favourite chair, or maybe you could create a space where residents could display their own photographs. 

Choose Warm Colours

A lot of retirement homes use the same kind of colour palettes as hospitals, with blues and greens to make things feel calm and clean. This can make the place feel too sterile, and not like a place where people actually live. Instead, decorate with some warmer colours. Paint the walls in a warm neutral, like a warm shade of cream, and add in warm, cheery colours with other decor items. Yellow scatter cushions, paintings with oranges and yellows, and other warm notes all work very well. A warmer colour choice can make the home feel a lot cosier and more comfortable, instead of like a hospital. 

Ask Your Residents

If you don’t think the space is quite working and don’t know why you could ask the people who live there what they think is missing. After all, they’re the ones spending the most time there and will know best what they need to make them feel comfortable and at home in the centre. Ask for feedback and follow up on what they’re asking for, whether they ask for better chairs in the main lounge or some different activities.

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