For people living with a Dementia or for those whose needs can be more complex, the environment around them plays a significant role in how they feel and experience their day. The noise, the lighting, the layout of a room, the smells, the colours and decor, even the level of activity around them all have an impact and this is something widely recognised in dementia care research.
As communication becomes more difficult, the environment can influence how someone responds and expresses themselves.
Behaviour is often a way of expressing unmet needs rather than something to be controlled. This sits at the heart of person-centred care, shaped by the work of Thomas Kitwood, recognising the importance of familiarity, identity and a sense of purpose in supporting wellbeing. Guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence supports this, recognising that distress should be understood and responded to through environment and support first – at Heanton Nursing Home, this means taking the time to understand what sits behind someone’s behaviour and responding in ways that reduce distress, without defaulting to sedation.
For one resident (who they refer to as family members), that connection to their environment was something as simple as the colour yellow – his favourite colour.
Whilst outside in the garden one sunny day, he said to one of the team that he wanted to paint the wall yellow, and of course the answer was yes, because the team aren’t there to control – this is his home and he should be able to choose the colour and make changes if he wishes. So, with newly bought paint and brushes he spent time painting the wall himself with support of the team.
Once he had finished the wall, he then decided he wanted to go more yellow! And painted his bedroom door! As he can at times experience confusion, orientation is important, so now the door helps him recognise his room easier and move around his space with more confidence. Throughout his DIY project, there was such a sense of leadership coming from him, he made decisions, he gave the team instructions, he was back doing something so familiar and purposeful for him.
Home Manager Abigail Denford explains, “Whether it’s colour, décor or the layout of an area, the environment should be shaped around the person, not the other way around. When someone is telling us something, in whatever way they can, it’s our job to understand it, not control it.”
What you see at Heanton Nursing Home is just one of many simple positive outcomes. The home supports people with complex needs, often those who have previously experienced failed care placements elsewhere, not from the fault of the care homes, simply because of the level of complexities the person lives with. So having an environment built around the people who live here whether a grocery store, a petting farm area, sensory walls, a nursery – people can continue to get up each day, do something, be occupied, be happy, have a purpose – have a continuation of life.
To find out more about the care and support offered at Heanton Nursing Home, visit Dementia, Complex, Respite, and Residential Care in Devon