Hard Landscaping Design for Care Homes

The therapeutic benefits of a safe, attractive and carefully planned external living environment are well recognised. Access and proximity to external space in a Care Home setting will enable residents to maintain an active lifestyle which supports their physical and emotional wellbeing. Well designed and secure areas for walking and wheelchairs should provide opportunities for exercise and relaxation outdoors.

Inclusive Design for Care Home Residents, Staff and Visitors

Care Homes should be designed to be ‘enabling’ in terms of the likely impairments which residents may experience with increasing age and frailty. Many Care Home residents experience decreased sensory acuity. Their senses of hearing, vision, taste, smell and touch may have deteriorated over time which impacts the information they perceive from their environment. As it is may be difficult for some residents to notice details, hard landscaping design should be clear, straightforward and easy to distinguish.

We recommend designing hard landscaping with the end-users in mind, maximising accessibility and inclusivity for staff, visitors and residents. It is still possible to create beautiful hard landscaping designs which are familiar and not confusing for the end-users.

Choosing Colours to Minimise Confusion

Care must be taken when selecting colours and materials for hard landscaping. We recognise that certain combinations of colours and patterns can be problematic for some groups of people. Changes in colour and or tone in paving may appear as a step or barrier to a resident with dementia and deter some residents from entering a space or even lead to a fall. Strong patterns such as visible joints in paving or changes in block colour need to be avoided as they present a barrier to movement. Avoid ‘visual clutter’ by opting for plain colour schemes with no confusing patterns. The team at Tobermore can assist with a suitable selection of landscaping for Care Homes.

Meaningful Contrast to help with Hazard Identification

Ensure clear contrasts are used for clarity where the walls and floors meet and on edges, obstacles, street furniture, steps and changes in level. Strong contrasts in surfacing need to be avoided as end-users may interpret it as a change in level or a hole.

It is best to avoid large patterns in paving which can look dirty or uneven to some residents.

Minimising Glare and Reflection for Sensitive Eyes

Certain people with dementia are sensitive to bright light and glare from shiny surfaces. Hard landscaping which is highly reflective may appear to be wet and slippy. Therefore, paving materials which minimise glare and reflection should be selected.

Why Specify Artro for Care Homes?

Artro brings a classic style to residential projects in private, social or shared accommodation schemes. Ideally suited to care home applications, Artro is non-reflective and anti-glare which is an important consideration when end users may have visual impairments.

Perfect for paving a grand entrance, an intimate courtyard or a meandering pathway. Artro is designed to perform flawlessly with the demands of frequent vehicular traffic. People with limited mobility can often be deterred from hard landscaping which appears to be slippy. Artro boasts a very low slip/skid risk rating which is essential for care home end users.

• Non-reflective
• Anti-glare
• Low Slip/Skid Rating

Click to view our Artro Brochure for Care Homes

Artro Warm Palette for Care Homes

Choose from Artro’s warm palette to create a sense of quality and authenticity in a traditional surrounding. Lay Linear or in a Herringbone pattern to re-create the aesthetic appeal of European clay pavers and benefit from its modern, trafficable performance. The natural warm appearance of this palette evokes familiar and traditional surroundings which has been proven to be more conducive to a dementia friendly environment.

Artro Cool Palette for Care Homes

Grey is here to stay! Select from the cool palette and choose jointing to complement Artro paving and combine with edging and kerbs to create your own unique look. While simple in form, Artro allows you to explore multiple design concepts.

Care Home Hard Landscaping Design Inspiration

To get your creative juices flowing we have pulled together an Artro Mood Board below which is in line with the design considerations outlined previously.

Free Hard Landscaping Design service for Care Homes

Did you know that we offer Free Design Services? We package together all essential elements to make the specification of Tobermore products a quick and easy process. Tobermore’s team of qualified landscape designers will work in partnership with you to select the right products, colours, sizes and textures to compliment your Care Home project within your indicated budget.