August 2011 Issue

  • Considerations for Care Facility Design
  • Recent Trends in Alzheimer’s Facility Design- An Interview with Elizabeth Brawley, IIDA, President, Design Concepts Unlimited

Dear Reader,

“In today’s world, we are increasingly impacted by a population that lives longer and sees increasing incidents of dementia and Alzheimer’s. The CAI team hopes that this guide provides you with insights on how an environment is created to be supportive of special needs. These principles provide a sense of dignity and independence for seniors with memory issues whether at home or in a special care facility.”

Sharon and the CURRIER Design Team

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A Note From the Designer: “Designers have an obligation and a responsibility to understand the changes that occur in the aging process and the special needs that arise from them. Designers must place themselves in a role to understand the meaning and importance of facility design and will find the key challenge to be designing flexible, cost-effective residences that meet the needs of the senior population. We must design all levels of senior living that accommodate the needs of aging residents. Careful design planning allows residents to feel that they are at home, instead of in a healthcare institution. While they need environments that do not add to their confusion, they do need environments that encourage them to function in ways that they can safely continue to lead the most independent and dignified lives possible” – Casey Dureau, CAI Designer

 

Designing a Care Facility

People with dementia often have trouble in making sense of the world around them.

The environment (physical, social, and cultural) and design features of a care facility should support the functions of people with Alzheimer’s, accommodate behavioral changes, maximize abilities, promote safety and encourage independence.

This article describes key issues to consider in designing a care facility for people with Alzheimer's disease.

Complete article (Web Version) (PDF)

Recent Trends in Alzheimer's Facility Design: An Interview with Elizabeth Brawley, IIDA, President, Design Concepts Unlimited

Unfortunately, the fastest growing industry in chronic care has become Alzheimer's disease management.

For the care-giving facilities confronting this growth, the main challenge lies in appropriate staffing and programming for residents; care facility design alone, will not "solve" anything.

Elizabeth Brawley does not disagree with this point of view. Long-experienced in the Alzheimer's design field, and author of the recently published Designing for Alzheimer's, she describes how the role of design should be to support efforts essential to helping cognitively impaired residents retain maximum independence and dignity.

Complete article (Web Version) (PDF)

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CURRIER & Associates, Inc., 504R Merrimac Street, Newburyport, MA 01950
Phone:    978-465-7644 | Fax:  978-462-5010

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