I was troubled by a comment a manager made recently during a telephone conversation we were having to decide on which charts would work best in her environment. She was rightly proud of the extensive refurbishment the home had undergone, but I don’t think she was any more comfortable than I was by the instruction from the owners that nothing was to be put up on the newly painted walls. It’s not really an issue for our charts because we have sizes suitable for the wardrobe door or similar, but I thought how sad it was that residents, or families on their behalf, were not allowed free rein (within reason of course) to reflect their personality, their lifestyle, their individuality in the one place they can call home. They are, after all, paying for that space one way or another. I wonder whether this might be a policy that backfires anyway. The owners want their home to look beautiful, but might prospective clients not see the inability to personalise the rooms as a negative point?

What do you think? Are there valid reasons for keeping a tight control on what can go on the walls of a resident’s bedroom?