VIDEO: Furncare recognised for its ‘Gold Standard’ dementia-friendly furniture range
Specialist furniture supplier Furncare has been awarded A1 & Gold Standard ratings for its dementia-friendly furniture range by the Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) at the University of Stirling.
The firm’s exclusive Admonere wardrobes, drawer units, dressing tables and bedside cabinets were awarded the highest A1 rating.
Complementing the Admonere cabinet range in the Remini Dementia Collection are coordinated highback lounge chairs and visitor chairs which are upholstered in a variety of contrasting high-performance fabrics.
The Remini Collection features specialist room themes for those living with dementia, and includes a choice of fully electronic profiling beds, matching curtains, soft furnishings and accessories, achieved the highest ‘Gold Standard’ rating from the DCDS, and is available exclusively from Furncare within just five days of ordering.
Carl Southal, Managing Director at Furncare, commented to THIIS: “For Remini to have achieved the highest level of recognition possible from the University of Stirling DSDC is a landmark achievement.
“Coming from one of the foremost centres of excellence for dementia care research and development, this is a proud moment for Furncare, and will help to improve the lives of many people living with dementia.”
News about the A1 and Gold Standard rating was shared at the recent Dementia Matters webinar which was hosted by Mike Goldwater, Head of Brand Communication at Furncare. During the webinar Lynsey Hutchinson and David Wilson-Wynne from the DSDC were joined by leading care home operators Ruth French of Stow Healthcare and Director of The Outstanding Society, and Paul Gaskell from Runwood Homes, as well as Jade Eaglen, Interior Design Coordinator at Furncare.
The webinar, which can be viewed in the video below, sought to examine factors to consider when caring for residents with dementia, creating dementia-friendly environments and improving CQC ratings.
David Wynne-Wilson from the DSDC gave an overview of dementia and the care challenges it presents. Paul Gaskell of Runwood Homes explained aspects of his dementia care model and training courses, likening dementia to a thief, stealing different things from different people. “When we know all we can about the individual, we can see what dementia is stealing, and can help to put some of those missing pieces back.”
Ruth French also emphasised the importance of individualised care and evidence on the journey from ‘requires improvement’ to an ‘outstanding’ CQC rating.
Having already announced the official DSDC accreditation for the new Remini Collection, Lyndsey Hutchinson explained how Light Reflectance Values (LRV) can help designers to plan dementia-friendly interiors. LRV is a measure of contrast between different surfaces ranging from 0 (black) to 100 (white). For someone with visual impairment as a result of dementia, a difference of at least 30 points between surfaces will help them make sense of their environment.
View the Dementia Matters webinar here:
