Furncare launches “trailblazing” new furniture range for people living with dementia
Specialist furniture supplier Furncare has developed a specially designed furniture range for people living with dementia.
The Remini Dementia Collection was developed in partnership with academics and care professionals after its research found that for those with dementia, difficulty with memory and perception may become compromised with ‘visuospatial difficulties’ commonplace.
Cluttered or brightly coloured interiors can trigger confusion and frustration. Conversely, a lack of definition or contrast can have the same effect. Getting the balance right is difficult, but optimum levels can be achieved.
The range features specially designed bedroom interiors with four distinct schemes to accommodate individual tastes and styles.
Carl Southall, Managing Director at Furncare, commented: “When it comes to dementia care, what do we all agree on? Difficulty with memory and perception may become compromised.
“That’s why we’ve developed our trail-blazing new furniture range ‘Remini’ in partnership with leading academics and care professionals.”
Forgetting where things are is an accepted part of getting older, but for those with dementia it can be particularly distressing, according to Furncare. Some may forget what’s inside a drawer or how to open it.
Special cut-outs in Remini soft-close doors and drawers enable people to see what’s inside without having to open them. It also provides a simple hand-hold to open the drawers with, although large handles are also fitted.
Remini furniture features safe rounded edges and is finished in contrasting colours and textures. Contrasting fabrics are used in the upholstery – even the cushions feature contrast piping to help users process the shapes and edges. All fabrics are fire retardant, water and stain resistant.
With age, more light is needed to see, and for those with dementia ‘Light Reflective Values (LRV)’ are important. This measures how much light is reflected or absorbed by a surface.
Black has an LRV of 0 whilst white has an LRV of 100. Visuospatial processing can be helped by factoring sufficient contrast in to surfaces. An LRV difference of at least 30 points between adjacent objects will help. Any less can have the opposite effect.
The Remini Dementia Collection features coordinated interiors and quotes LRV ratings for each item. It even recommends complementary wall and floor coverings for perfectly balanced LRV interiors for those with dementia.
Established by cabinet maker Jonathan Southall in 1992 and known then as Earlwood Furniture, the Furncare brand launched in 2004 when it re-focused on the specialist needs of the care sector.
In 2020 Furncare were awarded ISO9001 accreditation and expanded its fleet of delivery vehicles offering a ‘white glove’ national distribution service.
