News New PRP report on future-proofing care homes post-pandemic

New PRP report on future-proofing care homes post-pandemic

News, Publications

April 22, 2021

PRP launches a new report on how to future-proof our care homes from future pandemics. The report makes eight key practical design recommendations to control the transmission of COVID-19, and other every day infections, while maintaining a social and active environment for the residents.

The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact on care homes across the UK over the past year, the virus quickly spread and our most vulnerable population badly affected. In response, PRP seek to address the issues facing residents and staff in these homes and introduce design solutions that will create safer and protected environments for them to live and work.

PRP’s ‘Safe, Happy & Together’ design guide for Care Homes outlines how best to respond to the challenges of bacterial and viral spread, whilst also addressing key lessons learned. Recommendations include improvements in natural ventilation, light and views out, as well as considerations for the building plan, such as layouts designed to maximise space and a reduction in the number of bedrooms grouped together – ways of designing bigger and better spaces for living during isolation. There are some measures that can be considered vital all year round and others which could be brought into play temporarily.

Jenny Buterchi, Partner at PRP comments: “One year on from the UK’s first lockdown, we have been reflecting with our clients on how care homes can be better designed to promote residents’ wellbeing whilst responding to the challenges of bacterial and viral spread. We now hope to engage further with other designers, operators and developers so that we can continue this thinking and learn from each other. Sharing our collective experiences is critical to continually improving our care homes.”

Read the full Safe, Happy Together report on Care Homes here.

This latest research builds on PRP’s long-term experience in the design of high-quality housing and care options for older people across the UK, and on its role as an advisor to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Housing and Care for Older People. PRP published last year a factsheet for Housing LIN on key design principles and issues to consider when developing a brief for a new Extra Care Housing development.