Sunrise of Cardiff care home is currently receiving major refurbishment works, as Sunrise Senior Living UK look to deliver an ambitious overhaul of communal areas, corridors, residents’ suites, offices and other areas of the home.
The £1.4 million project also includes the conversion of the care home’s second floor into a comprehensive Memory Care Neighbourhood, as the demand for care services for those with dementia or cognitive impairment continues to soar.
The luxury care home has not received an update to its interiors since its opening in 2007, resulting in many aspects of the care home tiring and falling out of favour with current trends. In response, Sunrise Senior Living UK see the comprehensive refurbishment works not only improving its internal appearance, but delivering important functional improvements.
Speaking of the project, James Minchin, Head of Technical and Commercial at Sunrise Senior Living UK, said:
“Our plans are driven by an overarching mission to reflect the natural and architectural heritage of Sunrise of Cardiff’s surrounding area, while prioritising the needs of residents by improving the operational functions of the care home. We’ve also gone to great lengths to include existing residents and team members within the design process to ensure that the incumbent community will feel at home in their refreshed care home.”
With more green spaces per person than any other core UK city, the project team sought to reflect the natural surroundings within the care home’s updated colour themes. This theme also took inspiration from the castles which remain standing in Cardiff, resulting in refined colour palettes distinct to each of the care home’s four floors.
Sunrise Senior Living UK also understand the importance of space and its ability to affect the overall health and wellbeing of residents and team members. In response, the refurbishment programme has considered various environmental elements, including the type and quantity of lighting, acoustics, textures and colours. These considerations have ensured that the internal appearance of the care home has a calming and comforting effect on residents.
Danica Mrozek, Interior Design Manager at Sunrise Senior Living UK, added:
“We recognise that all residents have their own individual needs and we wanted this understanding to permeate all aspects of the design to ensure that Sunrise of Cardiff remains comfortable and adaptable to these requirements. This includes offering designated spaces suited to different activities, such as a large bistro for socialising with friends and family and a quiet library for reading, as well as providing a variety of different seating styles to cater to our residents’ varying preferences.
“As part of this commitment, we encouraged residents at the care home to be involved in the selection process for new furniture to help us select the most ergonomically suitable options, while aiding independence and encouraging self-reliance.”
To achieve this, Danica and her team introduced a variety of suitable chairs into the care home for residents to try and provide feedback on. Residents were then invited to participate in a survey on their preference of chair, with the overall favourite subsequently being purchased for the refurbishment works.
The refurbishment programme has also delivered an innovative visiting area in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for a secure yet comfortable area for residents’ friends and families to visit the care home. This designated space, which was previously the care home’s Sun Porch, was fitted with a floor to ceiling glass screen to segregate visitors from residents and prevent infection by blocking cross-contamination. The existing window was also converted into double doors to ensure that residents and visitors enter the space separately.
The refurbishment has also looked to use environmentally friendly products in all areas of the works, ranging from carpeting and furniture, through to lighting and fixtures. Delivering on this commitment, furniture purchased as part of the refurbishment has been supplied by Edison & Day as their products are entirely manufactured in the UK using wood from ethically sourced forests which are FSC approved.
Although the works have been partially delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sunrise Senior Living UK expect the refurbishment project to be completed in May 2021.
Phil Andrews, Senior Development and Property Director at Sunrise Senior Living UK, said:
“I am delighted with the progress that our major refurbishment project has made over the last year. Residents at Sunrise of Cardiff are already thrilled with the dramatic updates that we have delivered, and concerted efforts have been made to ensure that they experience minimal disruption to their daily lives while these works have been carried out. Once completed, I know that residents, team members and family members will thoroughly enjoy the renewed appearance and improved functions at Sunrise of Cardiff.”
