Household Model: Part Two - Social Spaces

Household Living Model: The New Wave of Resident Centered Care

Design impacting residents’ well-being and quality of life, and organization’s success

Frank W. Rees Jr. andRonald C. M. Bergstrom

Part Two: Life-enriching Social Spaces

The attributes and benefits of the household model of design are reflected in the designs of three distinctive nursing homes, with households ranging from 10 to 16 residents, developed for unique life-enriching senior living communities in Tyler, San Antonio, and Farmers Branch, Texas.

In each case, the vibrant living structure created combines with a resident-centered environment to form a whole, life-enriching home. The designs advance residents’ peace of mind, well-being, and quality of life. These were evidenced anecdotally in resident’s pleasant countenance, good energy levels, active participation in life-enriching opportunities, and positive engagement with other residents and staff. A general absence of resident disruptive behavior and elopement attempts also existed. Resident survey results included high levels of satisfaction overall and with regard to the living environment.

Additionally, they contribute to the success of both the nursing homes and their respective senior living communities with regard to:

• Market positioning, by addressing older adults’ needs and desires
• Marketing, through positive outcomes, including resident and family satisfaction
• Operations, through admissions, efficiencies, and staff performance and satisfaction

While each home is distinctive in shape, size, and appearance, all share the multiple integrated elements common to the household design model. One of those elements, Life-enriching Social Spaces, is addressed here. Two others – Household Living Areas and Positive Outdoor Space – are addressed in articles one and three.

Meadow Lake Continuing Care Community, Tyler, TX

Life-enriching Social Spaces

Purpose
As with a traditional private residence, the nursing homes based on a household design model include multiple life-enriching social paces. These invaluable spaces permit residents to experience the social, physical, and health benefits attributable to interactions in social spaces.

Selected life-enriching social spaces and their attributes
Life-enriching social spaces in a nursing home based on household design model include: include:

Pleasant Eating Area (Dining Room), with:

• Space proximal to food preparation/serving area,
• Location at the heart and social center of the household, tangent to household hallway.
• Eating atmosphere with soft light hung low over table, pools of light space, and warm colors.
• Large, accessible dining table, though residents with wheelchairs may choose a regular chair.
• Accessories with desirable scale, shape, color, texture, and variety

Pleasant Private Dining Room offering dining for families and small groups

Neighborhood Kitchen reminiscent of a farmhouse or home kitchen, offering the fragrances and sights of food

Family Room, with:

• A location at the heart and social center of the household, tangent to the household hallway.
• A variety of seating configured in a loose circle, adjacent to pathways within the space.
• Half walls and plants on the side adjacent to household hallway; defining the space.
• Ceiling height varied from corridor and adjacent social activity area, distinguishing the areas.

Sitting Spaces along hallways that are visible and accessible to residents; fostering their walking.

Social Activity Area, located at the heart of the household, offering Wii systems, games, and other life-enriching opportunities.

• A location at the heart and social center of the household, tangent to the household hallway.

Comfortable Salon and Spa offering hair and nail services, chair massage, and facials

Library and reading area that is reminiscent of residents’ personal den with books, photos, and other written materials of interest to residents.

Wellington International Senor Living, San Antonio, TX

Computer and Business Center with email and internet access

Positive Outdoor Spaces (e.g. pathways, sitting areas, outdoor room, raised gardening area)

Benefits
Residents utilizing the life-enriching social spaces experience multiple benefits, including:

• Living and social environments that:

o Develop and strengthen social groups through meals together in a pleasant setting.
o Foster one’s appetite and interest in eating through presence and fragrances of food.
o Elicit positive emotions: pleasure, happiness, contentment, interest, and curiosity.
o Act to reduce contributors to stress, depression, and negative emotions.

• Physical settings that:

o Foster social interactions, friendships, and productive activity (pursuit of hobbies).
o Advance maintenance of one’s walking ability by walking in hallways to access and enjoy dining, sitting, salon, social activity areas and other activity opportunities.
o Promote experiencing the enjoyment of group conversations, individual visiting, and other life-enriching opportunities (e.g. Wii, lectures, music, and movies).

Silverado Senor Living

• Support of healthy lifestyles and personal wellness through:

o Nutrition gained from well-balanced meals tailored to their needs and desires.
o Being energized, as reflected in increasing physical activity and mental energy.
o Gaining a sense of well-being reflected in interest/urge to learn, and try new things.
o Vitality and resilience to physical and viral stressors, resulting in the ability to better cope with life situations while reducing vulnerability to illness.

Take-Away Message
The best practice nature of providing life-enriching social spaces in the development of nursing homes by three senior living communities is validated by: clear attributes of the life-enriching social spaces; their contributions to organizational market positioning, marketing, and operations; and the array of positive benefits they offer for residents, their families, and staff.

Frank W. Rees Jr. is Chairman and CEO of Rees Associates, Inc.
Ronald C. M. Bergstrom is President of Senior Living, American University Health Care.