With the opening of the Nursery in Belong fast approaching, attention is turning to every detail of the fit-out, from fixtures and fittings to furniture and signage. We took time out to hold a ‘reflection week’, evaluating existing plans and walking around the nursery space to test initial proposals.
One of the most striking things about the space is the amount of natural light flooding in from every angle. This prompted detailed debate on the types of blinds needed to enable light levels to be effectively controlled throughout the day and across changing seasons. With views from a range of professionals, it was a great opportunity to challenge ideas and learn from different experiences and perspectives.
Signage was another area of focus, as we considered instructional signage that would work for older people, as well as children and families, particularly significant for those who may be living with dementia or other cognitive impairments. This resulted in rethinking our initial plans and removing the life size photographic images we were going to use in our welcome areas which could be confusing and disorienting for some older people.
Over two sessions, we have also returned to our initial scoping plans and some of the assumptions we made when we started out on this multigenerational journey.
We have learnt so much over the last year, particularly as the pandemic has progressed and impacted so seriously on our ways of connecting with each other. This has been hugely significant for people living in care settings and particularly our older, most vulnerable groups and goes to the heart of understanding equity and inclusion and what adds to feelings of marginalisation.
One implication for the nursery has been to prompt us to give greater consideration to technology and the use of intuitive platforms that enable us to connect to the outside world virtually, particularly those that have worked well in other Belong villages. From Facebook portals to voice activated devices such as Alexa, everything is on the table.
Watch this space and we can assure you, you won’t be disappointed!
With the opening of the Nursery in Belong fast approaching, attention is turning to every detail of the fit-out, from fixtures and fittings to furniture and signage. We took time out to hold a ‘reflection week’, evaluating existing plans and walking around the nursery space to test initial proposals.
One of the most striking things about the space is the amount of natural light flooding in from every angle. This prompted detailed debate on the types of blinds needed to enable light levels to be effectively controlled throughout the day and across changing seasons. With views from a range of professionals, it was a great opportunity to challenge ideas and learn from different experiences and perspectives.
Signage was another area of focus, as we considered instructional signage that would work for older people, as well as children and families, particularly significant for those who may be living with dementia or other cognitive impairments. This resulted in rethinking our initial plans and removing the life size photographic images we were going to use in our welcome areas which could be confusing and disorienting for some older people.
Over two sessions, we have also returned to our initial scoping plans and some of the assumptions we made when we started out on this multigenerational journey.
We have learnt so much over the last year, particularly as the pandemic has progressed and impacted so seriously on our ways of connecting with each other. This has been hugely significant for people living in care settings and particularly our older, most vulnerable groups and goes to the heart of understanding equity and inclusion and what adds to feelings of marginalisation.
One implication for the nursery has been to prompt us to give greater consideration to technology and the use of intuitive platforms that enable us to connect to the outside world virtually, particularly those that have worked well in other Belong villages. From Facebook portals to voice activated devices such as Alexa, everything is on the table.
Watch this space and we can assure you, you won’t be disappointed!