What You Didn’t Know About Care Environments: An Interview with Jon Chapman

You’ve worked with care operators and developers for over 30 years – what’s changed the most in how care environments are built and valued?

Jon: In terms of new builds, they are generally larger in scale with homes increasing from around 40 metres squared per resident in the early 1990s to over 60 sqm for some of the luxury offerings. This has enabled larger bedrooms, with full en suite wetrooms, and a greater choice of communal and activity space. There has also been a greater understanding of the needs of people with diminished vision and/or dementia, with environments becoming more enabling for residents. The greatest skill is to achieve this within a high-quality, but homely environment.

As chair of the Healthcare Design + Build stream, what key themes do you think delegates will walk away thinking about?

Jon: Hopefully, an understanding of the things which work for everyone as well as appreciating the need to appreciate each individual resident’s requirements. A key factor in design is ensuring your staff understand the principles so they can both reinforce them but also know when and how to adapt and refresh the ideas.

What’s one common mistake you see in care home development or care environment refurbishment – and what should operators consider instead?

Jon: People don’t live in five star hotels and can find such an environment unfamiliar and uncomfortable. Homes can focus too much on impressing the relatives and not enough on the well-being of the residents. That’s not to say that homes shouldn’t be finished to a very high standard but they shouldn’t be a collection of stage sets.

You led the Healthcare Design Awards for 25 years. What makes a care environment truly exceptional?

Jon: It’s the attention to detail which, if really successful, should go unnoticed by the people using and visiting.  A logical layout, augmented by clear signage and navigational cues to help independence and avoid frustration.  Accentuating key points within a home is vital to help navigation.  For example, one distinctive picture at a corridor junction is far better than lots of pictures on the side walls.  Allowing the care environment to evolve and adapt is also important, so it’s a stimulating place to live rather than a museum of artefacts.

How does good design and strategic valuation impact the day-to-day experience of those living and working in care settings?

Jon: Retaining a level of independence is important to most people and a well-designed care environment can assist greatly with this. I recall someone telling me that people with dementia may struggle to find their destination because they don’t know where they are starting from. That can lead to frustration and upset which, in turn, makes the job of caring for them more challenging for staff. This can be further augmented through the use of technology to unobtrusively monitor and protect residents, rather than fix them in one location.

Why is now such an important moment to be discussing care design and innovation?

Jon: Through our shared experiences over the last 25 years, we have significantly refined and improved our collective understanding of what works and what doesn’t, so I think we are creating homes which are pretty good.  The majority of homes aren’t modern, purpose-built units though so there remains a challenge of how good design principles can be retro-fitted into older buildings.  I suspect many operators feel that’s not possible but some small and inexpensive changes can make a huge difference. 

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to leaders thinking about investment or redevelopment in their service?

Jon: Take the time to walk around your home with a fresh pair of eyes, trying to actually experience what your residents experience.  Start at the furthest bedroom and think how you would find the dining room, lounge or garden from there.  Focus on junctions and facing walls and place clear visual cues at these staging points on the journey.  You don’t need to spend big – just spend wisely.