Innovation Needed to Improve Environment
Aged care institutions can l00k sexy, says Julie Ockerby, a former nurse who is winning global awards for her pioneering work in Australian healthcare. She believes institutions for the elderly should have much more in common with hotels, including a sexy, inviting appearance. The principal creative director for Meli Studio, Ockerby has been recognised on the world stage for her innovations. She won a Gold Stevie Entrepreneur of the Year – Business & Professional Services and a Silver Stevie for Woman of the Year in the 2019 Business Awards. Ockerby says more innovation in aged care is needed. “I don’t think the needs and demands of our seniors population is now so much more demanding, I just don’t think think is has been met in the past,” she said. “Rather than aged care being scary, it should be a destination point, a continuation of life’s milestones that is not daunting but an added life experience in one’s timeline.”
A member of Ageing Asia’s Fast Track team which conducts classes in best practice aged care around the region, Ockerby’s inspiration came from a deeply personal experience. “My father was ill and needed a nursing home, but i couldn’t find one to the standards i felt he deserved. Nobody was considering the environment as adding to his quality of life,” she said. “Why can’t aged care bedrooms be designed more like hotel suites? Why can’t dining areas be more interactive and truly inspire all five senses as we see in modern restaurants? “Moving forward, I’d like to see the design trends embracing the whole family to encourage intergenerational involvement. “Areas such as private dining rooms need to be more than a big table with 12 chairs. They have to involve outdoor spaces and landscape features such as playgrounds. “Our recent aged care homes project feature cafes, hotel-style reception or lobby spaces, hair salons and cinemas.” Ockerby was also frustrated by the lack of quality fabrics tailored to the aged, and the predominance of uninspiring beige (her personal design bugbear) that she released her own Meli Studio fabric range. The bright but not overbearing colours, simple patterns, and soft but hardwearing textures all have an obligatory waterproof backing. Meli Studio also designs specialist dementia units using colour psychology to reduce the institutional feel.
According to Ockerby, dementia design needs to involve the person in designing their space according to colours they like, their hobbies and their general daily routine. “In an aged care setting, you are designing for a cluster of residents all with individual needs. Achieving core requirements of dementia design such as contrast levels and spaces that evoke sense of calmness is crucial to maintaining behavioural status quo.” Given a choice, Japan would be her preferred destination for aged care living. “Japan does aged care really well, with dignity, privacy and intergenerational activities,” she said. “Plus, top priorities such as food, music, physical exercise and social interaction are part of everyday life in a home in Japan”.
Julie Ockerby’s Tips To Make Aged Care Facilities More Inviting
- Add more pops of colour.
- Include more textures with fabrics and wall finishes.
- Take our sterile commercial elements and substitute the clever use of finishes that are seen in hotels and residential spaces. It has to function operationally, but it doesn’t have to look like a hospital or institution.
- Invest in feature lights and use collaborating lighting as a feature as well as a functioning tool.
- Hang artwork as conversational pieces. Art is so subjective. You either like it or not, but either way, art can provide talking points. I don’t think I know one artist who artistically creates a piece hoping that it should be a ‘safe’ talking point.