Position your loved one’s bed in a way that makes it easy for him to communicate with visitors. — dpa
There are simpler tasks than furnishing and decorating a room in your home for a loved one dependent on daily care.
After all, the room shouldn’t only be functional, but also a place where the person feels comfortable, laughs, recalls fond memories and does things like drink hot chocolate with the grandkids.
So how is it done?
Ines Böhm, a German Red Cross expert on nursing care facilities and manager of (still-under-construction) living quarters for seniors in the town of Stadtroda, offers this advice for starters: “Family members should always keep the personal needs of the care recipient in mind.”
Don’t decide everything yourself, in other words, but sit down with your loved one and discuss his or her wishes first.
You may not have a multiple choice of rooms in your home that you can transform into a care room
But if you do, you should choose one that’s on the ground floor and easily accessible.
”The care room should be as close to the family as possible,” says Böhm, which would make it easier for the care recipient to take part in family life.
If the person is still mobile, the bathroom and kitchen shouldn’t be too far away.
“And, if possible, it should be the room in the house or flat with the most sunlight,” says interior design consultant Katia Steilemann, noting that the person will be spending lots of time there and no one likes a dark room.
The room shouldn’t be less than 15 square metres in size, according to Böhm.
“And the care bed should be accessible from three sides,” she says.
The care recipient should be able to move about the room using a wheelchair or walking aid without constantly bumping into furniture or getting caught on something, which Böhm says is another reason the room should have ample space.
In regards to floor covering, Steilemann remarks: “Rugs aren’t a good idea, as the person could trip over the edge of a rug or get stuck with a walker or wheelchair.”
Laminate or tile flooring is better and also easier to clean in case of incontinence, she points out, but adds that it shouldn’t be slippery.
The care bed is the room’s centrepiece.
“It should ideally be placed so that the person can see the door and not be startled when someone enters,” Steilemann says.
If this isn’t possible, then mirrors should be positioned so that the person can see the door.
In addition, the bed shouldn’t be far from a window, where there’s more light and the care recipient can enjoy looking outside, preferably seeing greenery, says Steilemann.
Böhm also advises positioning the bed so that the person needing care can easily talk to visitors.
“The visitor shouldn’t have to stand alongside the bed or sit on its edge,” she says, and suggests placing a chair nearby that faces the bed.
Turning to wall decor, Steilemann says: “I often see family members make the mistake of choosing pastel shades when it comes to wall colour. Older peoples’ eyesight isn’t what it used to be, though.”
So, care room walls could do with bolder colours, she says, and suggests red or green – but not too dark.
”You can also consider painting the ceiling,” says Steilemann, “since the care recipient looks at it when lying on their back in bed.”
Wall murals and photo wallpapers – depicting a forest, for instance – can brighten the room atmosphere as well.
But suitable wall colour or wallpaper isn’t enough to make a care room homely. When the person living in it isn’t occupied with family members or visitors, looking at family photos on the walls can be a pleasant diversion. – dpa
