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168 In Pursuit of the Sunbeam: A Practical Guide to Transformation from Institution to Household
family. Household residents should decide what is to be included in their surroundings, thus enabling them to internalize the environment as their home.
The design should include intimate and private spaces that allow residents to live out their individual pursuits. A comfortable chair with a pole lamp and a side table near bookshelves, for example, may be a space for one who likes to read; a separate game room or a game table in the library for playing cards or board games or writing letters; comfortable patio furniture for sitting out and enjoying the sunshine.
We all recognize the feeling of sanctuary within our own homes. As we have previously shared, we feel it most when we return from a long trip and first walk through the door and let out that audible sigh like we do only when arriving home. This is the feeling we must create in the Household Model.
The interior design of a house is an important dimension that affects how elders perceive things around them. Colors must have appropriate contrasts that are tasteful and comfortable in their palette. A balance between darker and lighter colors is important, but colors that are too vibrant, trendy and quickly dated may not be a durable choice. Pastel colors, while bright and cheery, are not perceived well by aged eyes.
Upholstered furniture must meet flammability standards, but options for furniture in health care environments are expanding. Keep in mind that few of our homes have only one style of furniture. Insist on investigating style options rather than falling back on models that promote the most clinical aesthetic. Resist purchasing household furniture from nursing home suppliers unless they have significantly expanded product lines. You may wish to ask for advice from a knowledgeable interior designer with gerontological experience who can identify features of furniture styles appropriate for frail elders. Be sure the designer understands and is driven by your vision of home. Select textiles that feel soft, and finishes that convey comfort and warmth. Furnishings and finishes can have tactile qualities of home and still be safe, healthy and cleanable.
Resident pictures and personal belongings can and should be integrated with the household décor as residents wish. But often staff will bring “institutional think” into the environment with the best of intentions. It’s one thing to have finger paintings grandchildren gave Grandma displayed on the kitchen fridge. That’s home. Its quite another to have finger paintings from a visiting classroom lining the corridor walls and integrated with seasonal borders carefully displayed by an activity director.