Ashford House Nursing Home has been established since 1972 and is located in the heart of Dun Laoghaire, a seaside town in Dublin, Ireland. In 2018 work began on the expansion and redevelopment of our nursing home which would see our home grow from 28 residents to 78.

Given the statistical evidence of the growing prevalence of dementia and its associated symptoms, it was clear that Ashford House had to be designed in a thoughtful, safe and dignified manner for those living with dementia. Dr Topping joined the design team of the nursing home as a consultant and assisted us in ensuring that Ashford House became a bright, safe and enjoyable place for those with and without dementia to live in.

From the moment Pamela joined the team it was clear that her knowledge of dementia design would bring Ashford House to the forefront of dementia care. It was also evident that Pamela had a clinical nursing background. This meant that she fully understood the needs of staff caring for people with dementia. This translated into creating a living space very much dedicated to our residents whilst also ensuring that our staff had the space and ability to safely care for them. Pamela’s nursing background made it very easy to work with her as she understands dementia care both in theory and practice.

Pamela considered every design aspect for our residents, including lighting, wayfinding, paint colours and textures. Pamela also assisted with the creation of additional therapy rooms for our residents that are used to carry out meaningful activity for the benefit of our residents.

From a clinical perspective, Pamela’s work has done wonders for our residents and their wellbeing and safety. Due to Pamela’s additional lighting and flooring choice our residents do not experience the discomfort that can be caused by ‘shadow objects’, a form of visual hallucinations that are often seen by people with dementia, particularly dementia with Lewy bodies. The additional, strategically placed lighting also assists in minimising ‘sundowning’ which benefits our resident’s wellbeing and minimises the use of PRN (as required) medications. The added benefit of this is that residents are not receiving medications that alter their natural sleep cycle close to when they may go to bed. This helps to reduce the prevalence of falls and increases resident safety.

Dr Topping’s input helped us to create some truly wonderful recreational spaces for our residents including a sensory garden, sensory room , reminiscence room, activities room and a library. Our sensory room is used by staff as a proactive activity that doubles as a non-pharmacological intervention for those with dementia or a cognitive impairment. It quickly became a favourite amongst residents and the benefits, such as reduced anxiety and improved mood, are seen almost immediately. Our reminiscence room is also used to host productive reminiscence therapy with our residents. Pamela designed this room in the style of a 1970s sitting-cum-dining room, a time when many of our residents would have been starting their families. Our garden is a haven, especially in a busy town. Pamela designed this so that it is completely accessible to wheelchair users, and we proudly boast our wheelchair accessible ‘men’s shed’, greenhouse, planters and seating areas.

Overall, the impact Dr Topping made during the redevelopment of Ashford House Nursing Home is huge. Our residents have benefited from living in such a calm, proactive environment that was designed to enable and enhance their lives. Dr Topping’s design is consistently commented on time and time again, even after a resident has lived in our nursing home for some time. Residents and their families and friends always remark on how well Ashford House was designed and say it feels fresh and homely while also having a sense of luxury.

Richard Byrne
Operations Manager, Ashford House