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Moving into a care home doesn't mean giving up social connections or an active lifestyle. In fact, the best care homes are designed with community living in mind, offering a variety of thoughtfully created spaces where residents can relax, socialise, pursue hobbies, and enjoy the outdoors. These social spaces are essential for wellbeing, helping residents maintain independence and enjoy a fulfilling lifestyle.
The Importance of Social Spaces in Care Homes
Well-designed social spaces do much more than simply provide somewhere to sit. They create opportunities for meaningful interaction, stimulation, and enjoyment. At Ashberry Care Homes, we understand that varied social environments play a crucial role in residents' overall wellbeing and quality of life.
Good social spaces can:
- Combat loneliness and isolation
- Provide opportunities for new friendships
- Offer different environments for various moods and activities
- Create a homely, welcoming atmosphere
- Support independence and choice
- Stimulate the mind and engage the senses
This is why we invest considerable thought into creating diverse, accessible, and appealing communal areas throughout our homes.
Comfortable Lounges for Relaxation and Socialising
Lounges form the heart of any care home, creating spaces where residents can gather, chat, enjoy activities, or simply relax. At Ashberry Care Homes, we typically offer several different lounges in each home, each with its own character and purpose.
Our lounge areas feature:
- Comfortable, supportive seating arranged to encourage conversation
- Good natural lighting complemented by warm ambient lighting
- Carefully considered acoustics to manage noise levels
- Accessible layouts for those using mobility aids
- Television and entertainment facilities
- Tasteful décor that creates a homely atmosphere
We often include a mix of larger social lounges and quieter, more intimate sitting areas. This variety allows residents to choose between lively social interaction or peaceful relaxation, depending on their mood and preference.
Beautiful Gardens and Outdoor Spaces
Access to nature has proven benefits for physical and mental wellbeing, particularly for older adults. Our care homes feature carefully designed garden spaces that provide sensory stimulation, gentle exercise opportunities, and the simple joy of being outdoors.
Features of our garden areas include:
- Accessible pathways suitable for those with mobility challenges
- Raised planting beds where residents can engage in gardening
- Sensory gardens with aromatic plants and tactile features
- Comfortable seating areas for enjoying the fresh air
- Bird feeders and wildlife-friendly planting to encourage natural visitors
- Seasonal planting to create year-round interest
Many of our homes also offer secure garden spaces specifically designed for residents living with dementia, featuring circular pathways, clear landmarks, and sensory elements that aid orientation.
Dining Areas That Enhance the Mealtime Experience
Mealtimes are important social occasions in our care homes, and our dining areas are designed to make these experiences as enjoyable as possible. Rather than institutional canteen-style spaces, we create dining rooms that feel more like restaurants or homely eating areas.
Our dining spaces typically include:
- Tables arranged to encourage conversation
- Good lighting to enhance appetite and aid visibility
- Accessible layouts for those using wheelchairs or mobility aids
- Pleasant, appetite-stimulating décor
- Options for private dining with family on special occasions
- Acoustics designed to manage noise levels
Some of our homes also offer smaller dining spaces or breakfast areas, providing more intimate alternatives to the main dining room when preferred.
Activity and Hobby Spaces
Maintaining interests and hobbies is vital for wellbeing in later life. Our care homes include dedicated spaces where residents can pursue activities, learn new skills, or engage in favourite pastimes.
These purpose-designed areas might include:
- Arts and crafts rooms with good lighting and accessible workspaces
- Cinema rooms for film showings and entertainment
- Library corners with books, newspapers, and comfortable reading chairs
- Game areas for cards, board games, and puzzles
- Technology corners with computers and internet access
- Music rooms with instruments and listening facilities
These spaces are flexible, hosting scheduled activities while also remaining available for residents to use independently or with visitors.
Spa and Wellbeing Areas
Many of our care homes feature dedicated wellbeing spaces where residents can enjoy therapeutic treatments and relaxation. These areas help maintain physical health while also providing important sensory experiences and moments of luxury.
Wellbeing facilities might include:
- Hair salons for regular styling and special occasion treatments
- Nail bars for manicures and hand treatments
- Therapy rooms for massages and other treatments
- Specially designed bathrooms with spa baths for relaxing soaks
- Quiet rooms for meditation or one-to-one activities
These spaces not only support physical care but also help maintain residents' sense of self and personal identity through continued access to familiar pampering routines.
Community Integration Spaces
Good care homes don't exist in isolation but form part of the wider community. At Ashberry Care Homes, we create spaces specifically designed to welcome visitors and integrate with local community life.
These might include:
- Welcoming reception areas that create a positive first impression
- Café areas where residents can entertain visitors
- Multi-purpose rooms that can host community groups and events
- Private areas for family gatherings and celebrations
- Children's corners to make family visits more enjoyable
These spaces help maintain vital connections with the wider world, ensuring residents remain part of their community.
Specialised Dementia-Friendly Areas
For residents living with dementia, thoughtfully designed social spaces can make a significant difference to orientation, independence, and wellbeing. Our homes include areas specifically created with dementia-friendly design principles in mind.
Features of these spaces include:
- Clear signage using both words and pictures
- Colour-coding to aid navigation and recognition
- Memory boxes outside private rooms to assist with orientation
- Reminiscence areas with familiar items from the past
- Sensory rooms providing gentle stimulation
- Circular walking routes to reduce frustration
These design elements help reduce confusion and anxiety while supporting independence and choice.
Experience Our Social Spaces at Ashberry Care Homes
At Ashberry Care Homes, we take pride in creating varied, welcoming social spaces that enhance our residents' daily lives. We understand that the right environment plays a crucial role in wellbeing, which is why we continually invest in developing and improving our communal areas.
We warmly invite you to visit and experience our social spaces for yourself. Seeing these areas in person and observing how residents use and enjoy them can help you understand the living experience we offer.
To arrange a tour of our facilities, please contact us today.
Social spaces are at the heart of community living in our care homes, creating environments where residents can enjoy companionship, pursue interests, and find both stimulation and relaxation according to their preferences. We look forward to showing you how these thoughtfully designed areas enhance daily life for our residents.
