Page 52 - CFJ_Jul26

CASE STUDIES

Dementia care provider gets ‘home from home’ feel with Altro

PACKAGE of specialist products from challenges which needed to be
A ALTRO has helped deliver a ‘home considered from the start.
from home’ refurb at a dementia-care Vickie explains: ‘We needed
home in Middlesex. to make sure there was as little
The Woodlands Residential Care Home disruption as possible for the
in Ickenham is a family-owned and run residents living in the existing
business providing dementia, respite care home. This was achieved by
and day care in a comfortable and secure planning and executing the project
environment. in various stages so no impact was
When the team wanted to expand made on the day-to-day life of the
and upgrade its facilities, it knew careful residents and no disruption to their
planning and design would be crucial, as care.’
would working with a range of products Altro has been at the forefront of
designed for the specific challenges dementia-friendly design, working
dementia care environments can bring. with the University of Stirling’s
Vickie Nickolls, designer at Interior renowned Dementia Services
Therapy, worked closely with Woodlands Development Centre (DSDC)
to ensure all their needs were met. ‘My over many years to develop total
brief was to create a calming environment solutions for the care home sector.
that felt home from home, somewhere ‘The range of products on offer
that felt like you could be sitting in your from Altro really helped as it gave Woodlands Residential Care Home in Ickenham
own living-room, and specifically designed me lots of choice when starting
for residents with dementia,’ she explains. the design process. The fact some also allows you to avoid the need for
The refurbishment project involved products were DSDC accredited was the noisy air extraction equipment, as with no
extending the existing facilities to create deciding factor as this supported my adhesive, there are no adhesive odours.
more space, adding a dedicated beauty designs on what colours worked best and Altro Wood Comfort offers biophilic,
salon, and family reading room as well as also with what style was best suited for homely aesthetics combined with 14dB
redecorating the bedrooms, living areas a dementia-friendly environment. Also noise reduction plus comfort underfoot,
and en suites. knowing the LRV for each choice was as well as Altro’s one in a million slip-
The home is divided up into distinct a key feature for me so I could ensure resistance guarantee’.
areas to make it as relaxed an each room flowed and met legislative Says the company: ‘Altro Pisces is an
environment as possible, with areas that requirements,’ says Vickie. award-winning, domestic-look specialist
are communal where the residents are ‘And of course, these Altro products flooring for a ‘home from home’, warm feel
able to mix and develop friendships. appealed for the performance in wet environments; designed for shoe
Vickie selected a package of products characteristics such as the safety, hygiene and barefoot use to keep you safe with
from Altro to use in the project, including and durability, something we needed to common contaminants such as shampoo
Altro Wood Comfort acoustic slip-resistant ensure we got correct throughout the and conditioner. Altro Tegulis is a tile-
flooring in hallways and bedrooms, Altro whole care home.’ effect wall panel with innovative etched
Wood adhesive-free in the lounge and Each product selected has qualities and grout lines and multiple colour and design
dining areas and Altro Pisces specialist characteristics particularly suited to the palette options. It’s easy to clean, robust
safety flooring in en suites, coupled with care home environment, says Altro. and hygienic.’
Altro Tegulis tile effect wall panels for a For example, Altro Wood adhesive-free In the kitchens, Altro Stronghold
seamless finish. ‘creates maximum impact with minimum specialist safety flooring was combined
Completing such a project in a busy downtime providing a safe, durable and with Altro Whiterock White wall cladding
care home environment presents specific decorative solution for busy spaces. It for what’s described as a tried-and-
tested, easy to maintain, commercial
kitchen safe and hygienic solution.
With the project complete, feedback
has reportedly been overwhelmingly
positive. ‘The impact has been huge for
the residents and also the staff as we’ve
created such a calming environment that
feels home from home. The feeling you
get when you walk in is exactly what we
set out to achieve,’ says Vickie.
‘Working with Altro was great. The team
were super-helpful and knowledgeable
when I asked questions, and the whole
process was easy and also enjoyable.’ 
www.altro.com/uk/sectors/health-and-
Altro Wood Comfort
care/care-homes

52 CFJ July 2026 www.contractflooringjournal.co.uk
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