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Page 20 — Health Care & Senior Housing Quarterly — October 2021 www.crej.com SENIOR HOUSING — TRENDS S enior living is on the cusp of reinvention. Since the end of WorldWar II, when the indus- try as we know it today was formed, it has become con- servative and institutionalized. That is about to change as three primary drivers – COVID-19, economics and the wave of baby boomers – are caus- ing a shift in this paradigm. The stale “nursing home” image of senior living will no longer be accepted. Seniors want to live in vital communities that foster inclusion and participation and support meaningful life experiences. Thoughtful design can counteract the tired image of senior living to appeal to a broader range of the mar- ket. Here are a few design enhance- ments we recommend incorporating into senior living communities to bring them into the 21st century and appeal to the lifestyle today’s seniors are seeking. n Exteriors. As with all housing, curb appeal reigns supreme. To create a dramatic first impression, include an entry portal with charis- matic forms and welcoming details. Exterior walls and roofs are moving away from conservative shapes and materials toward more dynamic ele- ments that help to establish a sense of vibrancy. Also consider adding ground-floor amenities that are open to the public to boost excite- ment upon arrival, while also ener- gizing the community and inviting connection with the neighborhood. n Entries and great rooms. Lobbies should move away from impersonal waiting rooms to become activated community centers. As the first point of entry, these spaces should set an inspi- rational tone for the community. Resi- dents and guests will feel most wel- comed in areas that are comfortable and human-scaled, not overly grand like a hotel. Enliven great room spaces by including a variety of settings for activities with large and small seating areas, multiuse flex spaces, reading nooks and a bistro. n Corridors. Long, bland hallways are a thing of the past. Corridors are a critical, often overlooked design com- ponent and an easy area to enhance to make your community feel more inviting. Break up the monotony by creating changes in width and height, by varying the finishes of walls and floors, and by bringing in more natu- ral light. Personalize the hallways by including intimate seating areas and providing porchlike spaces next to resi- dent entry doors to establish a better sense of arrival. n Dining. To allow the dining expe- rience to feel more like a gathering among friends rather than a cafeteria, move away from the large, single-room concept. Instead, break up the space with smaller seating areas that have different finishes, ceiling heights and personalities.This allows residents to experience something a bit differ- ent when they dine. Add a bistro that can flex from serving breakfast in the morning to become an afternoon cof- fee shop and a lively pub in the eve- ning. Another popular idea is to open the activity of the kitchen to the dining area, allowing residents to feel involved in the preparation of their meals. n Residential areas. Over the years senior communities have become large and impersonal. A great way to create a more intimate sense of community is to subdivide groupings of resident apartments into neighborhoods of 12-20 units. In the neighborhood com- mon areas, integrate biophilic elements like plants and other natural materials to create comfortable and relaxed set- tings. In independent and assisted liv- ing apartments, include large windows to maximize views and flood the space with natural light, and add balconies whenever possible to increase the con- nection to the outdoors.To overcome the hospital feel often found in skilled nursing, conceal medical equipment and nurses stations. n Staff spaces. At a time when it is crucial to attract and retain employees, staff spaces need to be reimagined. OnShift, a company focused on rede- fining the employee experience, has released a series of reports that docu- ment the burnout that senior living workers currently are experiencing. Thoughtfully designed staff spaces can be a great tool to combat burnout. Well-programmed staff lounges should have a variety of use areas – soft seat- ing zones, eating areas, exercise spaces and quiet areas for staff to relax and recharge. Don’t forget to take an ergo- nomic approach to the design of your entire community to help reduce staff injuries. n Outdoor spaces. Outdoor spaces can be just as important as indoor ones for our physical and emotional health. Including areas like resident gardens, dog runs and wash areas, shaded din- ing spaces, outdoor game tables and entertainment venues will increase the overall resident satisfaction and quality of life. While the architecture of the building might be considered the “hardware” that sets a community up for success, equally important is the “software,” or the operations that make the com- munity run and truly overcome the institutional feel. Senior living is in the early stages of a virtual revolution. As an industry, it’s time that we harness the power of inspiring design to create communities that support meaningful life experiences and dispel the old ste- reotypes of senior living. s lens@kephart.com Keys to designing inspired senior communities Len Segel Director of senior living, Kephart Lobbies should move away from impersonal waiting rooms to become activated com- munity centers. learned over the past 18 months in various areas. Currently, FGI requires a functional program to be submit- ted for a health department per- mit. Once the new regulations are enacted, we also will be required to submit a Disaster Emergency Vulner- ability Assessment, which identi- fies the hazards, evaluates the risk and generates potential solutions to these challenges. Our learnings in these key areas have informed design changes since the beginning of the pandemic and will inform the disaster assessments that will be required moving for- ward. As we continue to gain addi- tional knowledge and new guidance in the form of updated FGI regula- tions, designs of senior care com- munities undoubtedly will evolve based on these best practices and as a reflection of where the industry is heading. s gprager@hcm2.com Prager Continued from Page 17 At the end of this year, we will be opening our newest community, Hill- top Reserve in Denver. The timing of the pandemic and construction allowed for us to make several design and technology changes with a focus on safety and infection control that will benefit our residents and associ- ates for many years to come.With an increased percentage of the popula- tion getting vaccinated, we are hopeful that we soon will be through this and back to business as usual.Will we have some things that we will do differ- ently going forward as a result of living through this pandemic? Of course we will, but that will only challenge us to continue to be the best we can be as a local senior living owner and operator. s susie@ascentlc.com Finley Continued from Page 19 and implementation of corrective measures, lost productivity, repairs of damaged equipment and prop- erty, and costs associated with lower employee morale and absenteeism. VonderHaar said there are numerous reports that indicate for every dollar spent on workplace safety, there is a return of $3 to $5. While the COVID-19 ETS left some organizations scrambling this year, the larger issue is creating a culture of safety as a way of business, with for- mal training the norm and oversight in place internally so an organization can adjust as needed. Martinez calls this “prevention through design,” based on a Harvard Medical Practice study that found having effective systems and controls in place can enhance worker safety. Having these systems and culture in place reduces an organization’s risk exposure and helps maximize employee poten- tial. In a business where our focus is helping seniors age well and live well, having motivated staff who feel safe is a difference-maker. s mguerrieri@wellage.com Guerrieri Continued from Page 19 Long, bland hallways are a thing of the past. Corridors are a critical, often overlooked design component and an easy area to enhance to make your community feel more inviting.