Rest homes and hospitals for older people are changing the way they design new buildings to help make them places that people can really call their ‘home’.

One of the challenges older people face when moving into rest home or hospital level care is losing the sense of being at home. Now the Selwyn Foundation have opened a new centre in Cambridge fully designed around a ‘household’ concept that they say is new in residential aged care in New Zealand.

In the new Moxon Centre there will be two small communities or ‘households’ of twelve residents They will provide an environment where people who live there have a real sense of belonging and feel truly at home. Residents will have their own room with ensuite, and share a spacious lounge with open-plan dining and kitchen area, leading to a large outdoor deck and seating.

Alongside the household design is a ‘care partnership’ approach to holistic care planning focused on all aspects of a person’s well-being.  Village Manager, Rachel Hall describes it this way: “The interior plan and the accessibility features promote people’s independence, and a new way of working for our staff reflects the importance we place on the whole person and their overall well-being, and will enable residents to continue to take charge of their own lives, be empowered and heard by all their care partners.”

“We’ve developed this following a review of the most innovative thinking in residential aged care provision and service delivery, and then created our own unique version. In the Selwyn model, our residents direct us on what’s important for them, with our care team then formulating a personal and tailored care plan based on the person’s individual needs and what they want out of life. The care team has a guiding role and will support the resident to make the best decisions about their own well-being and lifestyle within the care home,” Rachael says.

Read more on the Selwyn Foundation website