Insights & Solutions

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.

Based on a 2016 survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) found that 18% of adults in the U.S. had a mental illness in the previous year

This summary compiles the executive summaries of six Safety Risk Assessment Issue Briefs to provide a high-level overview of the latent conditions of the built environment and their related design categories found in the CHD SRA toolkit.

Behavioral and mental health (BMH) conditions affect one in five adults in the United States each year, and are even more common among patients receiving care for medical conditions. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the spectrum of BMH conditions includes anxiety, attention deficit disorders, autism spectrum disorders, bipolar disorders, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, and suicide, among others. Up to 45% of patients admitted to the hospital for a medical condition or presenting to the emergency department with a minor injury also have a concurrent BMH condition. These BMH comorbidities increase the risk of psychological harm associated with care.

Learn about: the current state of aging and associated health conditions, the alignment between universal design and sustainable design strategies inspired by environments for aging, and universal design models that enable flexible and adaptable spaces to support aging needs and human needs.

Learn about: the importance of social health for older adults, the definitions and characteristics of select social behavior concepts, and design implications of social concepts.

Learn about: definitions of psychological concepts related to the designed environment, functions of personalization, privacy, wayfinding, and access to nature in meeting psychological needs, and design implications of personalization, privacy, wayfinding, and access to nature.

Learn about: the frequency and cost of falls among older adults, reasons older people fall and what can be done to prevent falls, and other safety concerns among older adults.

Learn about: activities necessary for independent living, the range of residential options for older adults, and the culture change movement that is transforming care environments for the aging population.

Learn about: common age-related changes in physical abilities, frequently occurring age-related sensory changes, and supportive adjustments to the physical environment that compensate for functional loss.