Architecture and Design for Retirement Living

Design and Architecture for the Retirement Living and Aged Care market are heating up. With demand outpacing supply in this market there is a push for new facilities to be built, and a government-lead drive to refurbish existing facilities. In Australia, there are approximately 5,000 new facilities every year for the next 20 years, just to maintain the current rate of people over 65 entering retirement living. With the desire for resort style retirement living on the rise combined with the growth in the retirement age population soon to exceed 27.5%, there is no real end for demand in sight.

More and more, Retirement Living operators need to strive for 'Resort Style' living while ensuring a range of complex, practical design considerations are catered for the residents in their facilities. With a strong upwards trend towards avoiding the transition to residential aged care, retirement villages need to ensure that their facilities can cater to the needs of the frail and older adults. These include people with early to mid-stage Dementia, low mobility and those with high lifestyle requirements while maintaining the resort style living to attract residents and encourage socialisation. A challenging and complex assignment for any Aged Care or Retirement Living architect or designer, especially those architects and designers starting out in the retirement living and aged care space who may not be fully aware of all the nuanced design challenges faced.

As innovators and designers of products and technology for the Aged Care and Retirement Living market, the team at CareVision have seen the good, the bad and the ugly of facility design, layout, aesthetic and technology. It is clear that for many of the existing facilities that have not been refurbished for some time, buildings were not purpose-built to meet the practical considerations, nor was there much to any regard for the aesthetic or resort style which the future generations will demand. We want to see things change and make sure that the architects and designers of the future step up to the mark so we have prepared our top 5 considerations for your aged care or retirement facility building design:

Smell: This is top of the list because it is one of the most powerful senses that impacts the comfort of residents and guests. It is widely reported, commented and discussed after many a family visit to an aged care or retirement living facility, that "the smell of the place made me want to run straight back out the front door and never go back'. This factor has huge implications on the socialisation, health and wellbeing of residents. This also affects the way residents connect with their family and friends when they move into a facility. However, it doesn't have to be the case. It might appear obvious to some to factor in quality air filtration systems such as those offered by Airepure. But every so often, the architect or the building designs itself fails to adequately allow for the air vent space that a robust air filtration and odour control system requires resulting in ghastly design changes on site by the builders, or more often is the case that inadequate systems are installed.
Social: It's not about the number of beds that can fit in a space, it's about the quality of the spaces and the ability for the built environment to foster relationship building, community and socialisation. Architects and designers need to think carefully about how they can create spaces that help people interact and build relationships. Adding a communal space to the facility is not enough in itself, the placement of these communal or social areas, proximity to services, and offering a combination of quiet space and fun space are as important. With social isolation one of the leading causes of premature death, creating an area where people can communicate and connect not only prevents social isolation, but it also promotes the sense of belonging and self-worth.
Technology: Far-reaching benefits of the smart home technology include providing older people with a safe blanket and assurance that help is available with just one touch of a button. It fosters independent living for as long as possible. Smart home technology supports older people with higher care needs, including those who are diagnosed with Dementia or those who are recovering from stroke or surgery. Technology-based solutions such as bed sensors that automatically triggers the light to illuminate a path inside the room; voice control; gadgets that allow the person to view who's at the door; and wearables that detect falls help older people feel safe and assisted in their daily routines.
Make it Beautiful: The facade of aged care and retirement living facilities have been long associated with the sterile setup of hospitals. Today, nursing home facilities are designed to create the impression of a hotel. From nursing stations transformed to concierge-like desks that encourage interaction between carers and care recipients to hotel-like amenities and on demand services - resort living experience reaps benefits for older people.

Consider that the baby boomers are retiring at a rapid pace. They are all searching for a comfortable, resort-like lifestyle. The interior needs to be a hybrid of a retirement home and a resort hotel. But beyond the details of design, retirement living in a modern setting incorporates comfort and care efficiency.

If you are an Architect or Designer and want to know more, CareVision will be at the 2017 DesignBUILD expo in the new International Convention Center in Sydney this May 3 to 5. Our Design Thinking gurus from our product development teams will be at stand A1 offering 30-minute consultations on the considerations and solutions for retirement living design.