Are any of your loved ones in a CCRC (senior housing)?

Other than handicap access, why would the design be all that different? You might try looking at a hospital room and what is available to staff there and include some of those items in the rooms of a nursing hom. You would probably have to have living quarters for couples and singles. You will need a dining hall as well as kitchenettes in the individual quarters. Don't for get a really great media room so that those who do not hear or see well can catch a good movie at least twice a week!

Dear Design Diva, I owned several assisted living facilities..starting with a 9 bed Mom and Pop (I was Pop) and graduating to a 72 ALF in Cape Coral, FL. Since selling my facility I spent 8 years personally looking after my mother whom survived a stroke and lived with aphasia and the inability to walk. I am now in Costa Rica and as it turns out planning to build an assisted living campus based on what I learned in my experience. The environment here I thinks lends itself to an alternative which will be affordable for those who have a mind to try something different. So I see this inquiry is a few years old but I am going to write some ideas in hopes that you still read this site and may touch base with me. I suggest first of all that the facility should not look like either a hospital or a hotel. I suggest rather use the Bed and Breakfast image to guide your thinking.Of course you are going to use Universal Design in all your plans. Secondly I suggest you pay attention to communication with the family via online technology. By this I mean, press a button and there´s ma..she see´s you you see her. Distant caregiving..or just distant caring is an overlooked need in this field. Investigate wheelchair gardening spaces..both inside, sheltered and outside. For reference take a look at the square foot garden web sites. Finally if you have any imput try to find a way to engage the outside world without pushing it down your community´s throat. The typical ALF is overly isolated. The reason is this population is very delicate and easily stressed. The remedy is often worse than the cure. I´ll give you a few ideas..and you will think of your own..as part of the facility a place where visitors can have their children play.., a real fruit market store where real people can stop by and pick excellent organic fruits at a bargain price, a second hand shop..a small cafe open both to inside world of ALF (physically and design wise) and to the outside community. There´s much more. I hope your project goes well. David Culver dwculver88@gmail.com