 Today's senior care industry facilities are changing rapidly to warm and welcoming homes for seniors. Now there is a greater variety with many more choices from which these prospective clients may select. Many facilities are raising the bar to remain competitive with one another, which is a benefit for all residents. It is important to understand the significant role the environment can provide as a therapeutic tool in "quality of life" issues for residents, staff, families and the community. Effective design strategies, which can benefit residents, would address the following issues in the programming of a facility:
- The resident
- The environment
- Resident centered design criteria, "neighborhoods & town squares"
- Orientation
- Color & light
- Sound
- Movement
- Upgrading opportunities for physical exercise & activities
- Safety & security for persons
- Safety & environment in public occupancies
In this article, we will briefly review the environment, resident centered design criteria, "neighborhoods & town squares", and upgrading opportunities for physical exercise & activities.
The Environment
The goal is to create an intimate residential atmosphere, which also compensates for loss or impairment of cognitive senses. It will be a low key, familiar, pleasant and appropriately stimulating atmosphere. This is achieved by understanding the following principles.
- Environment is a partner in caregiving. It is a product rather than a background for a product.
- Research has shown that persons who perceive themselves in control and having the ability to choose how they want to participate do better cognitively, emotionally, and socially.
- Provide affected person opportunities to be out and about in the environment
- Make demands on abilities and give them an opportunity to be useful to themselves and others
Resident centered design criteria
 How we deal with the above issues is very important in our designs. Clustering into:
- "Households"
- "Families"
- "Neighborhoods"
- Floor plans that create or reflect "points of choice"
- Reduced confusion through wayfinding
Design that simulates an actual house provides comfortable "at-home" environments that encourages socialization and activity. In addition, each area can be designed to meet a specific need.
For example, the living room and dining room provide space where residents can meet privately with visiting family and friends. A small kitchen or cozy living room provides residents with the feeling of being at home and helps them to be more comfortable in their surroundings. This is important - especially with dementia residents. It allows them to sit and visit with one another or participate in games and other daily activities.
 Neighborhoods and town squares
Environment is everything from the décor of your facility to the independence residents' experience on a day-to-day basis. One element that can greatly affect the environment of your facility are neighborhoods and interior town squares.
These areas provide different activities and atmospheres that are all visible and accessible from a central location.
Open areas such as the town-square and sidewalk café support socialization. And special situations like the park, aviary, swing and front porch create outdoor-type experiences and sensory stimulation for residents regardless of weather or time of day.
These amenities provide a place for residents to observe all that is happening around them in their "community."
Each of these different neighborhoods and town squares can encourage interaction among staff, residents and their families. Yet these unique surroundings provide for privacy, respect, and dignity of the residents. Services are brought to the residents in these neighborhoods, avoiding the need to transport the resident to the service by the staff. Neighborhoods and town squares allow "supervision", yet are separated from the busy "road of traffic." They also can bring the feeling of your community inside of your facility.
Upgrading opportunities for physical exercise and activities
 People can get outside by the creation of porches, and protective gardens with non-poisonous plantings. Sculptures, birdhouses, and swings that are visible from a resident's room stimulate interest. Sturdy seating along paths creates social interaction and resting areas for those requiring intermittent stops along the way.
It is important for resident "Quality of Life" to provide opportunities to enrich their lives through activities and community involvement. Creating spaces "on the way," not out of the way, is a big step in that direction.
This article is an excerpt of The Environment: There's No Place Like a Neighborhood - an educational guide on design of care centers. To receive this free guide, contact WAI/Continuum at 1-651-227-0644. This article was written by David Wolterstorff, president and founder of WAI/Continuum of St. Paul, MN, established 1981. WAI/Continuum provides architectural design, project management and interior design with a focus on the senior market. |
