Hammerton Court Dementia Unit | Overhead Hoisting, Baths, & Seating Project
Project type: Overhead hoisting, specialist baths, and seating
Client: Norfolk & Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
Location: Felixstowe, Suffolk
Background to the project
Dementia costs the UK economy £17 billion per annum, and in the next 30 years, the number of people with dementia in the UK will double to 1.4 million, with costs trebling to more than £50 billion per annum.
The Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust invested £13.7 million to construct a world-leading 36-bed Dementia Intensive Care Unit (DICU), acknowledging the rapidly rising need for top-class dementia care services as our population ages.
The DICU is for patients with the most intensive care needs that cannot be managed initially in specialist nursing care provision.
Our partnership & solution
Following extensive consultation, Felgains was selected to partner with Norfolk and Waveney NHS Trust and provide the necessary care equipment for this project.
Working closely with the Design Team, Felgains specified, supplied and installed ceiling track hoist systems, height-adjustable baths and specialist seating.
Focus on overhead hoisting
The Robin overhead hoist was chosen due to its unique twin-tape design which means that no spreader bar is required. This removes the risks to dementia sufferers associated with a traditional spreader bar.
Robin overhead hoist systems were installed in the gymnasium, bedrooms, ensuites and bathrooms.
The project team at Felgains drew on a wealth of product knowledge and experience to design the tracking layouts with the aid of computer-aided design. Several installation challenges were overcome during the process including varying ceiling heights, light beams and complex ceiling structures. Particular attention was paid to ensure that the care equipment did not detract from the homely environment.
Project Outcome
A welcoming environment, the layout and interior décor of the DICU have been designed to maximise natural light and open space, whilst the building has green credentials with its grass roof and low energy consumption.
Bedrooms, designed to look like a real home rather than a clinical institution, are based around courtyard gardens, containing outdoor memory prompts to stimulate patients and trigger memories of Norfolk seascapes, history and countryside.
A combination of a welcoming environment, a layout that maximises light and open space and high-quality care equipment has created a centre built for success.
Get in touch
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