AKW launches online guide to creating accessible bathrooms for people with dementia
Accessible home solutions manufacturer AKW has announced the launch of a new guide to creating dementia-friendly bathrooms offering best practice guidance on designing this important space.
The AKW Guide to Creating Dementia-Friendly Bathrooms has been produced with advice and support from specialist dementia design advisers at the University of Stirling’s Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC),
The bathroom is one of the most challenging and dangerous places for a person with dementia, according to AKW, and Dementia Friendly Design aims to compensate for the changes people experience when living with this condition.
AKW state that a dementia-friendly bathroom doesn’t need to cost more than a standard bathroom adaptation, but the products and guidelines regarding colour etc. need to be followed to ensure maximum safety and comfort.
Lynsey Hutchinson, Senior Interior Designer at DSDC, University of Stirling, comments: “The bathroom, despite being one of the smallest rooms to design in any building, is one of the most complicated.
“Indeed, there are at least 10 tonal considerations within a bathroom or shower room. These include tonal contrast for surfaces/critical planes such as walls, floors, doors, skirtings, sanitary ware and toilet seats which should achieve a minimum contrast of 30 points LRV (Light Reflectance Value) in order to see one object against another.”
Stuart Reynolds, Head of Product and Marketing at AKW adds: “We have worked with the University of Stirling to translate the complex issue of dementia into practical design points that can be easily applied in any bathroom adaptation.
“The guide details the seven major dementia challenges that impact bathroom design and gives specific advice on what to install and where, to help overcome these issues. From flooring colour to lighting placement, the guide has it all.”
AKW specialises in the design and manufacture of showering, daily living and kitchen solutions for people with mobility needs. Its clients include the majority of local authorities, housing associations as well as national and regional contractors.
The past year has been a busy one for AKW with the launch of its new showering, bathroom and sanitaryware collections for users with reduced mobility.
In February, the firm also assisted the Band of Builders charity with fitting out an accessible wet room in the home of a plumber with motor neurone disease.
