Unlike the care homes that have been commonplace for so long, extra care facilities are more of a residential choice. The kinds of places people choose to go to meet a whole spectrum of diverse demands, not just somewhere they are forced to go out of sheer necessity or function. The sector provides modern, age-friendly living solutions which still provide things like 24-hour care, alarmed security and communal facilities but with additional lifestyle features such as gyms, restaurants and even co-working spaces.
Extra Care facilities might predominantly still be self-contained properties with a staff office and gated entrances but they deliver a certain level of independence and autonomy that the traditional care home or residential living facility doesn’t. With this comes diversity in design – an engagement with current trends, technology, style-led fabrics and finishes, curated colour palettes and furniture which looks contemporary, welcoming and comfortable. Think more plush soft seating than wipe-clean plastics, and a consideration for the layout of the space which marries mobility, diversity, physical and mental health demands and aesthetic.