In assisted living communities, staff provide 24-hour support to elders. This means facilities need to be designed with a focus on around-the-clock safety and security.
Sterile dining halls are being pushed aside for areas that replicate the look and feel of a neighborhood cafe, pub or restaurant. Trends like display cooking also make meals more inviting.
Designing for Emotional Well-Being
As you design an Assisted Living facility, remember that seniors are looking for more than the institutional feeling of the past. Instead, they want to feel at home in their community and enjoy the company of others that share their interests. Some even seek those that provide private or semi-private apartments. Taking cues from hospitality and incorporating the principles of biophilic design can help you create an environment that fosters emotional well-being for your residents.
Whether they are looking to catch a local movie, grab a bite to eat or meet friends for coffee, seniors want to be able to do these things within their communities. As such, when designing an Assisted Living facility, consider ways you can encourage your residents to engage with each other and explore the surrounding area by creating accessible pathways, allowing for a wheelchair or walker to be used, and providing enough room around all furnishings for navigating.
Incorporating natural elements such as wood tones, oversized windows, hearths and a more residential style to all areas of the facility can be emotionally healing and help eliminate the institutional feel. This is known as normative environments and have been proven to have a positive impact on those experiencing trauma or depression.
Aside from fostering social activity, another key component of an Assisted Living facility is to provide the proper support services for all residents. Assisted Living facilities provide round-the-clock care for elders who need some level of assistance with activities of daily living. While independence is encouraged, facilities should have a strong emphasis on medical care and the ability to communicate with staff when necessary.
Skilled Nursing and Rehab facilities provide short-term care for elders who need a little extra support after a hospital stay, surgery or serious health event before moving on to a longer term care facility such as an Assisted Living or Memory Care. Often, these types of facilities offer rehabilitation therapy and other services to assist in recovery.
Given the ongoing nursing staff shortage, many senior living providers are working to increase caregiver efficiency by rethinking workflows and introducing technology solutions that can support their needs. This can include a variety of things from increasing the number of beds that are available in a facility to improving the flow of traffic throughout the building. In addition, it may be helpful to have a large, flexible meeting space where staff can hold informal discussions and training sessions.
Designing for Physical Well-Being
When it comes to physical well-being in senior living, design and ambiance are important aspects that need to be considered. After all, the last thing seniors want to do is move from their homes where they’ve been safe and comfortable for years to a new home that could be less than welcoming. Incorporating LEED certification and energy efficiency in assisted living facilities, along with biophilic design elements that connect seniors to nature, can help make facilities aesthetically pleasing and inviting for residents.
Adaptable senior living designs also allow for the changing needs of residents. This might include installing grab bars in bathrooms, adjustable countertops in kitchens, and flexible lighting systems that can be adjusted for varying degrees of vision. These types of adaptations can decrease the likelihood of falls or accidents that may occur in an assisted living facility, as they will provide a safer environment.
The concept of aging-in-place is one of the biggest trends that is impacting assisted living design. This concept allows seniors to stay in their current homes throughout the entire aging process by making simple modifications such as widening the bathroom door, adding safety bars, or even remodeling the entire home to a walk-in shower. These modifications are much more cost-effective than moving into a traditional assisted living facility, and can be done over time to suit the senior’s specific needs.
Hallways are another area where senior living communities are focusing on improving their design. Elongated hallways can easily cause someone to become lost, which could increase the risk of elopement or accidents. By designing a layout that creates multiple destinations within the community, such as activity rooms or libraries, the chances of becoming lost are significantly reduced.
A growing emphasis in senior living community design is incorporating natural elements and colors into common areas to promote emotional and physical well-being. Soft blues and greens are calming to the eye, while vibrant yellows can boost mood and energy levels. Incorporating hardy plants into common areas, as well as incorporating natural light through windows, will enhance the sense of connection to the outdoors and increase overall wellbeing.
Designing for Social Well-Being
The desire to remain active and connected with loved ones, even as one’s physical abilities diminish, is a common motivation behind choosing senior living. This trend has prompted an increase in the availability of both new and refurbished senior living facilities that foster whole-person wellness. As a result, designers and builders have turned to senior living design trends like biophilic design to make communities feel more homelike, encourage physical activity and social engagement and promote continued mental sharpness.
A key element of biophilic design is the use of natural elements, materials and colors that uplift people’s spirits and improve their sense of well-being. This can be accomplished by adding indoor plants, incorporating natural lighting and utilizing soothing color schemes. Additionally, many senior living facilities incorporate the principles of biophilic design to support cognitive and emotional well-being through activities and programming that include art therapy, pools, exercise rooms and relaxation areas.
Assisted living is the popular choice for seniors who want to live independently but need some assistance with daily activities, such as meal preparation and cleaning. These facilities can be converted homes with space for a few residents, apartment-style units or purpose-built buildings that are designed specifically for senior care.
Studies show that maintaining social connections is a vital part of staying healthy as we age. This is why many assisted living communities offer social gatherings, games and field trips to connect with other seniors. This kind of interaction and shared experiences are a large part of what makes assisted living so appealing to families and individuals who would prefer to move into these facilities rather than stay at home alone.
During greenfield and renovation projects, the focus on meeting physical needs can often overshadow other aspects of senior living. This can be a problem because senior’s lifestyles, interests and joys may change but their needs and desires to interact with others remain the same.
The best way to address these issues is to focus on designing senior housing that is more like a home and less like a hospital. This can be done by creating spacious open areas and connecting rooms that allow for movement between them, providing a variety of seating options that are comfortable and safe to sit in and using smart technology integration that enables residents to keep in touch with family and friends.
Designing for Environmental Well-Being
Assisted living facilities are subject to a variety of federal, state and local regulations and standards that can impact their ability to adopt green practices. However, they can use a combination of incentives and financial options to increase energy efficiency and reduce their environmental footprint.
As the world becomes more aware of climate change, people are looking for ways to improve the environment around them. This includes senior citizens in assisted living spaces, who want to leave a lighter footprint and feel comfortable in their homes.
The principles of biophilic design are ideal for this purpose, and there are many ways to incorporate them into assisted living spaces. These include using natural materials, soothing colors and a variety of plants to uplift the senses and promote wellness. Ample natural lighting, which can help regulate sleep cycles and boost moods, is also important.
Green features like gardens, balconies and walkways provide a connection to the outdoors and can promote social interaction among residents. They can also help improve air quality, which is critical for seniors who may suffer from respiratory problems or allergies. Harris notes that a growing body of research shows the benefits of nature for seniors, including improved mental health, reduced stress, and an elevated sense of well-being.
Another way to bring the outdoors in is through artificial lighting that mimics daylight, changing over the course of the day to support our circadian rhythms. This can have a positive effect on our mood and even increase the perceived brightness of an environment.
Lastly, the use of sustainable technologies and responsible waste management can further lower a facility’s carbon footprint and conserve natural resources. For example, incorporating low-flow faucets and toilets can help save water, while implementing recycling and composting programs can divert waste from landfills.
It’s essential for senior care purveyors to find the right balance between providing a comfortable home and keeping in line with sustainability goals. The key to doing this is to keep everyone involved—from residents and staff to architects and designers—aware of the importance of sustainability and embracing its benefits.
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