Can care environments be sustainable?
This webinar will ask what we mean by sustainability in care home design. With homes typically being refurbished every 5-7 years, making sure that designs are as environmentally friendly as possible is growing increasingly important, but how do we achieve this? We shall look at the tension which exists within the sector between meeting the needs of the various stakeholder groups and designing sustainably. The webinar will conclude by looking at things we can all do at a micro level.
Learning Outcomes
- What sustainability means in the context of the care environment.
- From a design perspective, what’s the environmental impact of what you are specifying.
- Things we can all start doing now.
Meet our Experts

Jacqui Smith is an experienced healthcare designer with a particular interest in how the built environment can support people living with sensory and cognitive impairments. Designing for health and physical and mental well-being, and the role colour plays is at the core of her work. Her portfolio includes both new build and refurbishment projects in Extra Care, sheltered housing, dementia and nursing homes, homes for young adults with learning disabilities and hospices/end of life care. Jacqui is an accredited member of The Society of British and International Interior Design (SBID) and Chair of her local Dementia Friendly Community.

Having a degree in Agriculture, Robert worked in the AnimalFeed and Pet Food sectors for 16 years before a change in direction broughtabout 16 years experience in the development of waterproof upholstery fabricsand faux leathers. By challenging the norms for the production of healthcarematerials to meet the requirements of the client and particularly the end user,the styles and finishes of upholstery fabrics and faux leather becametransformed enabling Care environments to become more “homely” and lessinstitutional. After 2 years in furniture manufacturing, Robert set up TheLindhurst Group, in 2019, having identified a unique faux leather, Sileather,that is wipe clean to biro and resistant to all the cleaners used withinHospitality & Healthcare.
With the onset of Covid in 2020, Robert really began toappreciate that without dramatic changes to the way the world is operating,there would be a “bleak” outlook. Taking the time afforded by the lockdowns,Robert set about understanding the sustainable benefits of Sileather and pulledtogether a unique portfolio of materials to offer to Designers &Specifiers. Backing up words with deeds, The Lindhurst Group became certifiedas Carbon Neutral in 2021
People who watched this also watched...
Seating for Care Homes
This webinar introduces how seating can be used to help manage pressure, as well as functional needs of your residents. We explore the benefits of good seating and potential consequences of not providing adequate seating. There's an overview of what posture is and how it is linked to pressure management. We also discuss the potential barriers and possible solutions to the provision of seating in care homes
Accora's clinical corner: sleeping in a riser recliner
This session brings together the key themes explored across our recent webinars on sleeping in a riser recliner. Over the past 3 months, we’ve examined the impact of sleeping in a riser recliner on sleep hygiene, comfort, confidence, transfers, mobility, pain management, and tissue viability.
This chatty, podcast-style webinar offers a relaxed and interactive space to revisit the most important clinical messages from the quarter. Attendees are encouraged to submit questions in advance and during the session, creating an opportunity to explore real-world challenges, clarify key concepts, and deepen understanding of best practice when supporting individuals who sleep in a riser recliner.
We will also highlight relevant intervention solutions and explore practical strategies for teaching and supporting others, and we will share our Sleeping in a Riser Recliner Guide with attendees after the session to support ongoing learning and application in practice.
Whether you joined us throughout the series or are looking for a concise and practical summary, this session will consolidate learning and provide actionable insights to apply in practice.
Please submit your questions here.
A manual handling adviser in Malawi
A long ambition was realised in February 2023 to volunteer with a charity that supports children and adults abroad. Being part of a team dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of fellow human beings is both an honour and delight. Two weeks can change your life forever and be the start of a long term inspirational collaboration in a far off continent.
