Care home residents pick planet-friendly furniture in £1.4m green refurbishment

People living in a care home in Cardiff have been deciding the eco-friendly furniture they want, as part of a £1.4m green refurbishment.

The refurbishment project currently underway at Sunrise of Cardiff care home, which is operated by Sunrise Senior Living UK, uses environmentally friendly products in all areas including the care home's carpeting, furniture, lighting and fixtures.

The care home’s communal areas, residents’ suites, offices, corridors, library and bistro is being refurbished and the furniture bought has been supplied by Edison & Day because its products are manufactured entirely in the UK using wood from ethically sourced, FSC approved forests.

Residents helped us choose 'most ergonomically suitable' furniture

Danica Mrozek, interior design manager at Sunrise Senior Living UK, said: “We recognise that all residents have their own individual needs and we wanted this understanding to permeate all aspects of the design to ensure that Sunrise of Cardiff remains comfortable and adaptable to these requirements.

“As part of this commitment, we encouraged residents at the care home to be involved in the selection process for new furniture to help us select the most ergonomically suitable options, while aiding independence and encouraging self-reliance.”

Danica Mrozek introduced a variety of suitable chairs into the care home for residents to try and provide feedback on. Residents were then invited to participate in a survey on their preference of chair, with the overall favourite being purchased for the refurbishment works.

The care home’s refurbishment includes a new visiting area developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which provides a comfortable area for residents’ friends and families to visit.

Previously the care home’s sun porch, the new visiting area was fitted with a floor to ceiling glass screen to segregate visitors from residents and prevent infection by blocking cross-contamination. The existing window was also converted into double doors to ensure that residents and visitors enter the space separately. The £1.4m project also includes the conversion of the care home’s second floor into a ‘Memory Care Neighbourhood’, as demand for care for those with dementia “continues to soar”.

The refurbishment reflects the local surroundings, within the care home’s colour scheme taking inspiration from the nearby castles in Cardiff.

Although, the care home says the works have been “partially delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic”, Sunrise Senior Living UK expect the refurbishment project to be completed this May.

James Minchin, head of technical and commercial at Sunrise Senior Living UK, said: “We’ve also gone to great lengths to include existing residents and team members within the design process to ensure that the incumbent community will feel at home in their refreshed care home.”

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