Acoustic Design - How important is it in aged care?
Acoustics in aged care is rapidly becoming a major issue. With providers opting for more hard surfaces such as vinyl flooring throughout a facility this is having a profound impact on the health and wellbeing of the residents.
Thoughtful design can reduce the impact of noise and improve the quality of our living environment. The acoustics of a space depends on the structural and interior makeup of the building and should be considered early in the design process. Noise is classified as either airborne noise, which travels through the air or impact noise through vibration.
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Bespoke Wall Coverings - Etch by Autex
I thought it appropriate to showcase the latest in acoustic products.
Autex have released a new range of wallcoverings called Etch. All of the team are excited to see the new product on offer and the other wonderful component is it can be bespoke enabling the team to create something unique and individual for each of our clients.
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Shift Perceptions + Shape the Future
This month I delivered a talk at the Social Impact Festival called “Maintaining Community within a Dementia Facility”. My session also included two other fantastic speakers, Michelle Harris Allsopon “Building Dementia Friendly Communities” and Anne Nilsen on “The Concept of German Multigenerational Houses”. The festival is called Shift Perceptions. Shape the Future and runs from 18-28 July 2017 at UWA. The program is full of really interesting sessions.
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Review: Really, Water Free Plants?
In our March newsletter we talked about the importance of Biophilic design. How can we get more greenery indoors? Well obviously one way is through artificial plants, but they are not real and whilst they give the illusion of real plants they don’t provide good air quality. Sadly, real indoor plants very rarely get looked after and soon look pretty scraggy and eventually die.
Along comes Stem & Stamen founded by Fleur Anderson, creator of the FernPanel™. It is interior landscaping using preserved plants, merging landscaping with visual arts.
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Latest Research in Music Therapy
We have all seen the movie “Alive Inside” and read about how good music therapy is for people living with dementia but, as I have learnt from Professor Richard Fleming and Kirsty Bennett, ideas must be followed up with evidence based research. A new study by Brown University, Rhode Island suggests that personalised music has important psychiatric benefits for people living with dementia in aged care facilities.
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Adventures in June
I can’t believe that we are half way through the year already, time flies when you are having fun! The first half of the year has been a very busy time for all the team and none more so than June.
Erin, Kathryn and Anna visited Denfair in Melbourne to explore all the latest exciting interior design products as well as having the opportunity to listen to a variety of interesting speakers on subjects such as technology and designing for the senses. One of the most interesting was “Value vs Trends" which discussed the challenge of authentic design. What is the true cost of authentic design and how can good design be accessible to all?
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Freedom of Movement
Following on from a fabulous time at DenFair 2017 in Melbourne earlier this month, we were lucky enough to get to Sydney and be immersed in the wonderful light and sound show that is Sydney Vivid.
And what a show it was! We spent many hours walking the Sydney streets and harbour areas taking in the captivating, and often poetic installations on offer. It was a photographer paradise but this particular installation 'Freedom of Movement' captivated us all with its core mission to change the way we move.
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Autumn Tapestry
We are totally inspired by the amazing autumn colours. This creeper reminded us of a beautiful tapestry rug, snapped at a day in the Yarra Valley when visiting Melbourne last week. Enjoy bathing in the beauty of this most colourful of seasons.
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Make Believe in Dementia Care
Is designing spaces or products that incorporate make-believe elements within dementia care the right thing to do? Currently there seems to be much discussion around this topic and we know that make-believe could be viewed as potentially deceptive and deception is a core issue in relation to person-centered dementia care..
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Seniors Home Brings Young and Old Together
I would like to share with you a story from West Seattle, where there is an Intergenerational Learning Centre called “The Mount”.
The Mount is a licensed non-profit child-care centre and preschool established on the Mount’s premises in 1991. The program was designed to counterbalance the loneliness and boredom that we know is an issue in aged care facilities..
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The Role of Technology in Interior Design
We know that a lot more residents moving into aged care are either bed bound or spend a great deal of time in recliner chairs. The sad reality is it means that residents are looking up towards the ceiling for a large part of the day. How do we make walls and ceilings more interesting for those residents?
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Regis North Fremantle First Birthday and Official Opening
Regis North Fremantle have just combined their first birthday and grand opening. I cannot believe 1 year has passed since we fitted out the new facility. It was a fantastic night and I have to congratulate their in-house chef who provided all the nibbles. The food was sensational and if that is any indication as to what the residents are served each day I have to say congratulations Regis and book me in for lunch!
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Opening of Amaroo Buckley Caring Centre Age Care Facility
An amazing opening of the new Amaroo Buckley Caring Centre age care facility. De Fiddes Design has been working on this exciting project, integrating suitable aged care appropriate design elements throughout.
The band were made up of the local men’s group and they played “You Will Never Grow Old” by Nat King Cole and the singing was by the CEO David Fenwick and all his wonderful staff.
Well done Amaroo on a great day!
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Connecting to Nature
We love to use of floral arrangements when fitting out our interiors projects. The more natural the better. They provide beauty and greenery as well as a valuable connection to nature. Our Australian native Eucalypts and wildflowers are currently in bloom and we can’t get enough of them – simply stunning!
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The Sense of Smell
Designing to enhance our senses is important when designing for the elderly.
Many people living in aged care, especially secure Memory Support Units, miss the opportunity to explore their senses.
The BBC has a fascinating series called “The Uncommon Senses” by Barry Smith who journeys into the human multi-sensory experience and highlights the importance of our senses and what it means to us as individuals...
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ABC and now the BBC
Last month Debbie featured on the ABC news talking about the importance of technology in aged care highlighting both the virtual reality goggles and the interactive technology.
This area of design is gaining interest worldwide and we were contacted by the BBC to air the story in the UK.
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Can red light really help us sleep better?
Russell Foster, professor of circadian neuroscience from Oxford University, is a leading researcher in the study of sleep and cycles of the brain. Prof. Foster explains that we need exposure to light between 1000-2000 lux to keep our body clocks ticking over. Prof. Foster says that exposure to light will not only prevent sleep problems, it may also be crucial for keeping our brains in good condition...
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deFiddes Design on ABC News Sunday!
Last night on ABC News Sunday was our very own CEO, Deb de Fiddes, who says, "Showing the virtual reality goggles to dementia residents at SwanCare Kingia was an amazing experience for the residents, staff and especially for me. It created some great conversations and the expressions on their faces makes what we do all worthwhile".
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Review: Technology is the way of the future
I think we are all familiar with robots and the many articles talking about technology playing a major role in the aged care industry moving forward.
In our last newsletter, we talked about the virtual reality goggles. This week we gave the residents at Swan Care’s dementia area an opportunity to try the Goggles. The reaction from the residents was absolutely incredible. We were filmed by the ABC and it will be viewed on the news Sunday night 7pm if you get a chance to see it.
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Review: Is that a TV?!
Quite often you will walk into a room and a TV is what you will see and hear first. Samsung have come up with an amazing new UHD TV called ‘The Frame’. The Frame is not only a TV but can double as a picture frame displaying over 100 pieces of art options whenever you’re not using it. The display not only adjusts to your presence but also adjusts to ambient light automatically!
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