McKillop Gardens

McKillop Gardens is a local authority care home run by South Lanarkshire Council which provides 24 hour residential care for older people, in both long and short term residency. It was built in 2004 as a part of South Lanarkshire Council’s re-provisioning programme, the work was carried out by Robert Potter & Partners and specifically built with ‘flexible accommodation and SMART technology to reflect the changing needs of frail elderly residents with increasing dementia’.The building comprises of five units each with approximately 8 private apartments.

Each unit comprises of a double loaded corridor broken in the centre by several communal areas. These areas include a sitting area with access to the garden/balcony on the street side, and an open plan dining/kitchen area facing the private enclosed garden. One end of the corridor creates a glazed sitting area with views out into the surrounding context with objects of interest on the walls, whilst the other links the unit with the additional building.

Each individual apartment is identified with a series of personal cues these include; their name on the door, a framed photograph adjacent to door, and in some cases a personal object such as ornament or toy placed at the edge of the door recess.

Within the apartment there can be found; an open plan sitting area with bay window, a kitchenette with small dining area, and a bedroom with en-suite shower facility adjacent. Each apartment can easily be personalised with individual ornaments and furniture which relate to the individual, with areas such as the bay window which not only permits maximum views and natural daylight, but is also reminiscent of traditional Glasgow tenement architecture. The kitchenette and small dining area allow the individual to prepare their own cup of tea or food when desired, with the bedroom and en-suite in close proximity. The en-suite facilities are spacious and well lit however contrasting colours would have been a benefit for those with poor sight and visual depth perception problems, both found commonly with those with dementia. The overall layout suggests independence and privacy, as facilities allow residents to choose between corporate or communal activities.

Out with each unit there are additional areas for residents, families and visitors to interact, these include; a cinema room on the ground floor, where films or other televised events can be screened and a very attractive warm winter garden on the second floor. In addition, one of the highlights at McKillop has to be the landscaped gardens, with continuous walking routes, clearly defined boundaries, planted beds at waist height and a gazebo in the centre as a focus point and place to sit and shelter.