10B — April 27 - May 10, 2018 — Industry Experts — ODM — M id A tlantic
Real Estate Journal
www.marejournal.com
I ndustry E xperts
By Les M. McCoy, IIDA, DesignPoint “Small House” design nurtures residents in memory care
O
ur team at Design- Point has vast ex- perience in health
the assisted living industry is scrambling to meet the need, and memory care is a hot topic.” Nationally, clients have sought DesignPoint’s inte- rior design expertise to create environments for memory care living, either for new construction or the conver- sion of existing space. Our experience also includes in- corporating best practices and research, like Greenhouse and small house principles, into our designs. “Small House” Design The Greenhouse , a l so known as a “small house”
model has been found to be the most successful environ- ment in providing a sense of home, connectedness and ul- timately, resident happiness. Research indicates that resi- dents in small house commu- nities were significantly more socially engaged and dis- played fewer non-aggressive behaviors, such as wandering, than residents in larger, tra- ditional settings. Small house features also include: • Separate bedroom suites with clear paths from bed- room to bathroom • Abundance of natural light
• Wayfinding and orienta- tion with the use of colors, aroma therapy and artwork, including views to the out- doors that promotes use of exterior spaces and walking. • Introduction of circadian rhythm lighting to mimic the suns daily cycle that helps boost wellness along with a more restful sleep for resi- dents. • Safety and security - not only is it important for resi- dents to be safe and secure they must perceive them- selves to be safe and secure. This can be achieved with restricted window openings
and secure garden fences. Properly designed outdoor spaces give the dementia resident a comfortable place to go outside and helps reduce elopement attempts because residents no longer feel en- closed. • Consistent staff assign- ments with the same staff as- signed to the same house at the same time in order to foster a sense of familiarity, an ability to truly know each individual and cater to their needs. • Smaller, intimate gather- ing places for those residents who feel overwhelmed by larg- er crowds. The design and layout of small house neighborhoods minimizes overstimulation as many residents become over- whelmed by large groups and spaces and can be susceptible to confusion and distraction. To achieve this, buildings are often divided into floors or wings called neighborhoods, each containing a small num- ber of rooms, generally 8 – 15 suites centered around a com- mon area. Each neighborhood has its own common area for arts and crafts, dining and oth- er activities. It is also common for areas to include features like aviaries or fish tanks to promote life, engagement and tranquility. One of our featured Green- house or Small House designs was at Morris Hall Meadows in Lawrenceville, NJ working with NK Architects. Morris Hall Meadows is a non-profit organization sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton and currently has 56 rehabilitation beds and 73 long-term care beds. Included here are photos of the memory care neighborhoods. If your senior living or- ganization plans to acquire and renovate a senior living community call us at 610-807- 9670. We are a trusted advisor to many regional and national senior living companies. Our clients have had their projects recognized and awarded for excellence. With experience in hundreds of personal care homes, assisted living, and skilled nursing interior design projects across the nation we can help you achieve your goals within your budget. Visit http://designpoint-interiors. com/ for more information and to see our awards and projects. Les M. McCoy, IIDA is president of DesignPoint.
c a r e a n d seni or l i v- ing projects. “Whether a physician’s office, surgi- cal center, skilled nurs- ing facilities, assisted liv-
Les McCoy
ing or memory care, at some point we have worked with them all,” said DesignPoint President & Founder Les McCoy. “Given the recent in- crease in dementia diagnoses,
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