What Upgrades Should be Made This Year to Senior Living Facilities in Westchester County and Suffolk County, NY?
Building a better senior living facility means providing a higher quality of life for the segment of our population that needs the most assistance. There are many upgrades that can drastically improve the feeling, flow, look, and revenue of a senior living facility. Some upgrades will have more impact than others. As you plan out the next steps, consider some of these options. You may be asking: what upgrades should be made this year to senior living facilities in Suffolk County and Westchester County, NY?
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A More Accessible Interior
Senior living homes need a substantial amount of space for seniors, staff, and others to move around effectively. Many seniors need wheelchairs or walkers, making wider hallways and doorways a necessity; but common areas, outdoor spaces, as well as individual rooms or suites need to be generously sized for easy accessibility. Before you begin your redesign, take a walk around the facility and look for any potential bottlenecks. Give priority to these spaces. Opening up your facility will give it a breath of fresh air and make it much more comfortable for everyone involved.
Family Rooms
To minimize contact between residents and the outside world (to prevent the spread of infectious diseases) doesn’t mean isolating them. Instead, add family rooms close to the reception area, where residents and family can visit without non-residents wandering the halls.
Eliminate Stairs Wherever Possible
For the most mobility-impaired, stairs are a constant burden. An upgraded senior living facility should follow a design concept achieved by most hospitals around the world: eliminate stairs wherever possible. In between levels, spacious elevators should take priority. In between different elevations on the same floor, use gentle ramps instead.
Improved Dining Areas
One of the biggest complaints around the senior care world is an inadequate dining area. Either the food isn’t up to par, the area is too cramped, there’s not enough light and windows, and more. Consider how to best accommodate the demands of a post-pandemic world, with increased space between tables and a smoother flow of traffic through the cafeteria. Maximize the surface area of windows to let in more natural light, and open the space up to improve the initial mood everyone feels inside.
More Natural Light and Natural Colors
Everywhere possible, incorporate larger windows to bring in more natural light: a proven mood-booster that also results in lower electricity use during the day. The look and feel of outdoor light is always preferable to the sterile and unflattering glow of fluorescent bulbs.
Soothing natural colors like green also help create a tranquil atmosphere.
Home-Like Surfaces
There are few things worse for a senior than to feel like they’re living out their golden years in a sterile, hospital-like environment that feels nothing like their comfortable home. Today, there are plenty of fabrics, wall coverings and types of flooring that simulate the comforts of home both in a visual and tactile sense, but are easy to clean, non-slip, and suitable for a high-impact, high-traffic environment.
More Charging Stations
Even if seniors aren’t as “plugged in” as the younger generations, many are. Make electrical outlets, USB plugs, and charging stations available in more places around your senior living facility – in the individual rooms, in all the gathering areas, and wherever there’s a chair or table. Your residents and their families will thank you for it!
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