Altro flooring brings massive benefits to pioneering dementia ward at Warrington hospital
After Altro safety flooring was installed in a pioneering new dementia ward at Warrington Hospital, statistics have revealed that the products are helping to vastly improve life for patients and staff.
This is effectively setting the standard for flooring in clinical environments where creating a relaxed, calming and safe environment is paramount.
The £1m Forget Me Not ward opened at Warrington Hospital in May 2014, with the aim of leading the way in providing the best quality care for hospital patients with dementia.
Lee Bushell, Warrington Hospital’s Estates Officer, Capital Projects, said: “The results we have seen so far are astounding and show that we have got it right. There are fewer patient attacks on staff, fewer slips, trips and falls, and patients with a history of violence are quickly calm and relaxed after arriving at the unit.
“The length of stay on the ward has vastly reduced – which for a unit with only 21 beds is a major consideration – and there is less sickness and absence among staff because they are happier in their working environment.
“There are no issues with cleaning at all, and the flooring still looks good and is performing very well.”
Lee Bushell said: “Warrington’s Forget Me Not ward has been designed to look different to a typical ward. The needs of patients with dementia are very specific. Our aim was to cater to these absolutely in the creation of the new ward, and provide a calm and relaxing environment for care using the latest design principles, colour and light.
“By understanding how dementia affects sufferers, we were able to create a dementia-friendly environment that both minimises the stresses that patients experience, while providing positive stimuli in a homely, calming space.”
Flooring plays an important role in dementia-friendly design, because dementia patients need to feel confident moving around the space. Using matt flooring is essential, as reflective surfaces can cause confusion, and speckling or sparkles need to be avoided. Flooring must be safe underfoot, as well, and with a tone and texture that is warm and comforting.
“We chose Altro Wood Safety and Altro Aquarius flooring for the new ward because we have used them both at Warrington Hospital before with great success, so I knew they would be the right choice for this project,” explains Lee.
“Altro Wood Safety has been installed throughout the ward and public areas. Its timber-look design is warm and familiar, which is a key issue for patient wellbeing. Plus of course it provides slip-resistance underfoot for the patients.”
Altro Aquarius has been fitted in the ward’s showers, bathrooms and toilets. “The benefit of Altro Aquarius is that it’s safe underfoot in wet areas with both bare feet and shoes, so for an environment where staff wearing shoes will be assisting patients with bare feet, it’s ideal,” Lee says. “It’s also a very hygienic product which has been specifically developed for clinical environments.”
“Overall, this is a real success story, and one that we are using to replicate in other areas of the hospital – specifically a stroke unit, where patients often have the same needs and issues,” says Lee.
“But we believe that this type of environment is beneficial across the board in clinical areas, where you can use flooring that has the homely warm look of a vinyl, but with the benefits of excellent safety and hygiene.
“We have proved Altro flooring works extremely well, and we want to take this forward and bring its benefits to other areas of the hospital.”
