Aesthetics and Comfort: The Babinichi Boarding House Demonstrates New Approaches to Resident Care
– Changes in legislation on social services will come into force as early as July, – reminded Vera Astapenko, Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Regional Executive Committee. – In particular, boarding houses will be renamed social boarding houses. This is due to the fact that the way of life in boarding houses has changed significantly in recent years, living conditions have become closer to home and sanatorium conditions. The functions of institutions have expanded, and new directions and technologies are widely introduced into their work: dementia prevention, rehabilitation, habilitation, and social respite for families.
Indeed, modern boarding houses provide decent living conditions, full nutrition, round-the-clock care, medical assistance, an accessible environment, and leisure activities. Mechanisms for solving all issues of life support and daily life have been developed. The time has come to reach a new level of quality of stay for residents in social institutions.
The idea that ran like a red thread through the regional seminar was that aesthetics and quality of service should be put at the forefront of organizing the living space for the wards of future social boarding houses: the objects surrounding them, while retaining their functionality, should be beautiful and modern.
The Babinichi boarding house demonstrated how this can look. On each floor where the wards live, there is perfect order and cleanliness, and no visual clutter. Personal use and hygiene items are stored in individual boxes. All textiles are selected in a single color scheme; incidentally, the bedding, curtains, and bedspreads are sewn in the local sewing workshop. In the interior of the rooms and halls, floral arrangements made of foamiran and isolon, created during art therapy classes, serve as bright accents. Every corner is organized as a space for relaxation or exercises to maintain cognitive abilities. For example, Kuznetsov applicators are attached to the chairs in the halls, and simple leg trainers are made from improvised materials. And what about the SPA capsule, fish peeling, and lounge area! The guests were particularly impressed by the eco-friendly floor, where natural materials are used in the interior.
The boarding house with its adjacent territory is a whole complex with a space for physical education, a library, cinema halls, a phyto-bar... And no institutional feel! The home, where over 400 people with multiple psychoneurological disorders live, resembles a good sanatorium. This atmosphere has been created and is being improved by the staff.
The director of the boarding house, Svetlana Chepik, spoke about how the team implements ideas and concepts for introducing beauty and comfort into the living environment of the residents. An important role in this is played by the funds raised from the sale of products made in the labor workshops, support from sponsors and charitable events, and most importantly, state assistance.
Based on the results of the training seminar, each boarding house develops an internal action plan. Their goal is to focus on the aesthetic component and the quality of services provided in each future social boarding facility.