A Renovation Contractor Suggests These 2 Tips for Senior Living Facilities Planning an Upgrade in Westchester County, NY
Senior living facilities are a highly competitive business, and those that are well-designed have the advantage of attracting residents. A renovation contractor suggests these 2 tips for senior living facilities planning an upgrade in Westchester County, NY.
The main design trend is toward more comfortable, home-like spaces that don’t have an impersonal institutional feel. The right environment encourages residents to engage in stimulating activities, be more social, and even continue to contribute to society through their talents and skills.
A senior living facility could take cues from the hospitality industry. Not only the amenities and layout, but finishes and design elements are taken from hotels can completely transform an institutional-feeling facility into what feels - and looks like - a luxury hotel. Many of these upgrades don’t have to be any costlier than opting for more institutional designs and finishes, and they will pay off in a waiting list of clientele.
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1. Home-Like Living Spaces
One of the big problems that people have with assisted living facilities is the lack of privacy. A roommate’s constant medical attention, the presence of a stranger, and lack of privacy can negatively affect mental health.
Smaller facilities or at least, facilities with a home-like feel such as a shared house - with plenty of privacy - can go a long way in creating an appealing place to live. Hospital-like senior living facilities that offer only semi-private rooms will not fare as well in attracting residents as those offering private suites complete with a private wheelchair-accessible bathroom and where possible, a small outdoor space.
Essentially, the feel is that of a condo cluster: residents enjoy their own private suite in an attractive building of no more than 10 suites - along with shared facilities that likewise have a comfortable feel more like an upscale hotel than a hospital.
Common living and dining rooms, as well as shared outdoor spaces, give residents the option of being sociable or spending quiet time alone in a comfortable space that is furnished for a home-like feel, yet geared toward the needs of the frailest residents.
Of course, assisted living facilities will need more hospital-like spaces as well; but these can be more “back of house” rather than prominent - much like a hotel kitchen or laundry facility is rarely open to public view.
2. Enrichment Activities
A resident’s physical health can be taken care of by any institution. However, emotional, social, mental, and spiritual health is not something often associated with assisted living facilities that feel like hospitals more than homes.
A fitness club, pool, yoga studio, dance studio, and outdoor track can give residents plenty of physical activity - and these spaces could also be opened up to the community at large.
The same goes for emotional, social, mental, and spiritual health. These amenities could be shared with the community, to increase engagement and interaction between seniors and younger generations and create a more vibrant and enriching environment.
Residents will flock to a facility that offers a movie theater, beauty salon, computer lab, classrooms, library, art studio, performing arts center, spiritual center, and community garden - especially when shared with the community.
Green spaces are vitally important to one’s well-being. Gardens, a park with benches and walkways, pergolas with picnic tables or lounge chairs, and water features will give residents a five-star experience reminiscent of a luxury spa.