Interiors

AKW has extended its beautifully styled Onyx range to include a new ergonomic wash basin and matte black fixed and deflector shower screens. The Onyx range has been designed to offer OT’s, retirement home developers, installers and end users a seamlessly integrated bathroom solution for the ultimate in beautiful, inclusive living.

Landlords with long-term disabled tenants can take advantage of an innovative package that can contribute- or cover- the cost of adaptative work, and spare the administrative headache of any future servicing or maintenance.

Palma Life from Closomat wraps up in one offering the purchase and commissioning of a Palma Vita wash & dry (smart) toilet plus ongoing annual service & maintenance for up to a decade.

New designs and Class 1 fire rated panels from Fibo UK drew interest from Housing Associations and other providers at the Chartered Institute of Housing’s annual conference and exhibition at Manchester in June.

Fibo UK has completed a new video to demonstrate just how quick and easy it is to install its high-performance panels and transform walls.

The video features the installation process from start to finish, with the wall panels being installed directly over existing tiles. As well as eliminating the time-consuming process of removing tiles and making good the surface of the walls, the video features Fibo’s innovative Aqualock system in action.

The tongue-and-groove system, which simply clicks in to place, makes installation up to five times quicker than tiles and is totally waterproof once sealed.

In the UK, bathroom falls account for a quarter of all hospital admissions . Unsurprisingly the 80+ age range is most at risk from hospital admission due to bathroom falls, with 8% admitted per year . In addition, the number of people aged 65+ entering hospital as a result of a fall is predicted to increase by almost 50% - to almost half a million - by 2035 . The bathroom is a high risk fall area, particularly for those with sight loss, mobility issues or dementia. Here, Stuart Reynolds, Head of Product and Marketing at AKW, discusses how to overcome two of the most common causes of bathroom falls in this space: poor lighting and trip and slip hazards.

Inspired by the work of ‘Help Bristol’s Homeless’ charity, container manufacturer, Newspace of Lydney in Gloucestershire, has created a specially designed Sleepover Pod  to help ease the City’s rough sleeping issue. The unit has been sited at Bristol’s Malago Road which is an area of ground currently unused, although earmarked for development.

If you have long term disabled tenants who need changes to the property to enable them to retain their independence, Government funding is available to cover the costs, says Closomat.

The Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) is claimed to be one of the best kept secrets of the welfare system. It can provide up to £30,000 towards the cost of undertaking changes to a property that are “necessary and appropriate”, are “reasonable and can be done” to help someone live independently. The Government pot has almost doubled in five years: in the current financial year, £500m is available for DFGs via local authorities.