Insights & Solutions

This webinar explores key design strategies and best practices for creating great environments for aging in place. From principles of universal design and biophilia to the role of technology and building materials, multiple elements of successful environments will be discussed. Presenters will also address some of the hurdles in creating effective environments for aging in place, including licensing and staffing, and will examine a case study of one operator’s unique approach. Participants will walk away from this session with more tools for creating environments for aging in place.

Understanding the personal abilities and unique challenges faced by aging individuals, especially those living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, better equips design teams to create supportive care and living spaces. Changes that can be credited to dementia are noticeably different from the changes typical of normal aging, but both can occur at the same time. 

Understanding the personal abilities and unique challenges faced by aging individuals, especially those living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, better equips design teams to create supportive living spaces. Devising goals that target single symptoms and objectives is not always practical, however, because changes associated with aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementias tend to appear in “clusters” rather than in isolation. The design-based evidence associated with designing supportive memory care settings results in 12 programmatic design strategies.

Learn about: the personal abilities and unique challenges faced by aging individuals, including those living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, how thoughtful design can reduce stress associated with declining physical abilities, memory loss, and care provision.

Learn about: the personal abilities and unique challenges faced by aging individuals, including those living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, how thoughtful design can reduce stress associated with declining physical abilities, memory loss, and care provision.

A White Paper Supporting the Healthcare at Home Interactive Design Diagrams  

There’s no place like home. That’s why, in the not-too-distant future, many older people will be able to access medical care and services for chronic and acute health conditions from the comfort and convenience of their own residences.  

Today, people are living longer than ever before, and many will have greater needs for medical care in their later years. In fact, as baby boomers age, many will be living with chronic health problems requiring a coordinated approach to manage these issues effectively and efficiently.

One of the many significant changes in the healthcare field in recent years is the integration of technology in new and exciting ways. While the latest IT developments bring a variety of benefits to patients of all ages, it’s perhaps the aging population with chronic health concerns who get the most out of the healthcare technology available today. Some of the latest innovations that are making a difference for older Americans include:

Lorenz, S. G. & Dreher, H. M. (2011). Hospital room design and health outcomes of the aging adult. Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 4(2), 23-35.