Before launching into a discussion on memory care design options, speakers Maggie Calkins of the IDEAS Institute and Lisa Warnock and Chuck Archer of LRS Architects first wanted to address the evolution of language around memory care concepts and designs during their session at the 2019 EFA Expo & Conference, April 7-10 in Salt Lake City.
Looking back 10 years ago, the speakers said common definitions of plan types included “hallway,” “open plan,” and “hybrid.” Today, the nomenclature has evolved to use “household,” “neighborhood,” and “greenhouse.” “But there’s still a lack of consistency in how the terms are used,” Calkins, president, IDEAS Institute, said during the session, “My Plan is Better Than Your Plan: A Lively Discussion on Memory Care Design Options.”
Furthermore, definitions may vary. Household can be defined by their size (ideally no more than 16 residents, Calkins said); type of spaces, including a functional kitchen that residents can access, dining room, living room, and laundry; having a front door; and lack of institutional elements such as nurses’ desk or med cart. A neighborhood, on the other hand, is not just a large house, but rather is considered to describe a group of discrete households that offer larger more public social spaces. “Our language is still evolving,” Calkins said. “We need to look at the spaces we’re designing and see if we have the right language to describe them.”
While the speakers noted that not everyone agrees on what is the best supportive memory care environment, they walked through various floor plans, discussing some of the pros and cons of each. The layouts ranged from traditional corridor plans, which feature long, double-loaded corridors, prominent nursing stations, and central large common areas, to neighborhood models using corridor layout, which offer multiple neighborhoods that are connected with 12-20 residents per neighborhood. One positive to this model, Archer noted, was that the corridors connected into a figure eight with the activity space, rather than staff spaces, in the center, which can make the setting feel more homelike.
In a different community comprising eight households, the living areas were designed to accommodate 11 people and provide better access to natural light in living areas. Additionally, the community decided to locate the larger shared community spaces, including the pool and fitness areas, in the center of the memory care community, which increased interaction between those residents and older adults living in the campus’ assisted living and independent living communities.
Regardless of the design concept, the speakers agreed on a few elements that should be universal to all communities, including a courtyard, which is easy to access and houses a variety of features such as water elements, different seating elements, raised beds, and activity spaces. “It’s an important component to the design of the units,” said Archer, architect, LRS Architects.
On interior design, Warnock, associate, senior interior designer, LRS Architects, stressed the need for elements that foster independence, including uniform lighting that supports loss of depth perception among older adults; carpeting, which creates a more homelike environment; and self-directed activity spaces.
Calkins also told the audience not to underestimate the importance of a front door into a community, whether a household, hybrid, greenhouse, or any other model. “It’s a signal to residents that this is their home,” she said. “There’s something powerful about that message.”
