CREJ

INSIDE W e have all heard it: In 30 years the number of Americans who will need long-term care services is projected to double, and they won’t want to move into a typi- cal “nursing home.” How can we take this data and create long-term care facilities that provide a sense of com- munity, promote new opportunities, encourage healthy living and, above all, focus on the resident? As the baby boomer generation is moving toward a change in their long-term residence, trend is some- thing that needs to be focused on in a new way. Aging in place is an ideal solution for many. While staying in the home of your choice, minimal design upgrades can be constructed to allow for a safer home environ- ment. Consider open layouts, wider doorways, hard- ware changes, add- ing grab bars in bathrooms and replacing tubs with accessible showers, adjusting lighting levels and investing in communica- tion devices. These small changes can be the first steps of many to create a better quality of life within one’s own home. Aging can be an unsettling thought, so focusing on these design changes within your own home can bring peace of mind and help one to age with more freedom. When aging in place is not an appropriate plan, seniors consider moving into a long-term care facil- ity. Moving out of their neighbor- hoods and communities is a change that can be immense and can result in feelings of losing control. Many seniors are looking to relocate to urban neighborhoods. This provides the opportunity to take advantage of what cities have to offer regarding the arts and cultural actives, sporting events and dining.Within the long- term care residences, small details such as niches for personal items outside of a senior’s entrance into their rooms and incorporating gather- ing spaces can help residents connect with each other, as well as form per- sonal relationships with staff. Design- A glimpse at the activity taking place across Colorado’s health care market Market activity PAGE 3 The ‘critical’ need for existing senior communities to adapt to evolving expectations Rethinking the future of senior living by looking upward Repositioning Looking up PAGE 15 PAGE 16 Emerging trends in the long-term care industry Please see Page 17 January 2019 Aspen Valley Hospital’s physical therapy gym, Phase 2 Melyssa Feiler, EDAC, NCIDQ Senior designer, Gallun Snow