Insights & Solutions

The following are compiled from research literature, case studies, interviews, and other materials to provide an overview on the topic of aging populations.  

Learn about: why the imagined and built environment needs to take a broader, more deliberate role in supporting aging patients, the tools that designers and providers must use to create supportive physical and social spaces, and information that visionaries, collaborators, and patients can share to streamline the design process.

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.  

Learn about: the need for current healthcare systems to accommodate a growing number of older Americans, how healthcare needs change as people age, design features that can help older patients feel more at home in an inpatient setting, and how home design can contribute to personal health and satisfaction over time.

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.

Learn about: the ways older adults are categorized by demographers, U.S. population projections and trends, and the ways growth in the aging population could affect the healthcare design industry.

Learn about: cognitive changes that occur with normal aging, the definition and stages of Alzheimer’s disease, and design interventions that can reduce negative behaviors characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease.