Western

As the demand for senior living communities continues to rise, so does the complexity of designing environments that meet the evolving needs of residents across the entire continuum of care. Facilities that seek to cater to independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation needs must strike a balance: fulfilling stringent functional and regulatory requirements while remaining inviting, promoting connection to nature and others and offering comfort for people of all ages and abilities. The biggest challenge, according to designers and seniors housing experts alike, is “seamlessly weaving protective elements, like perimeter security or grade changes, into a design that feels warm and inclusive, not institutional,” explains Adam Alexander, director of planning, landscape architecture and design at Bohler, a land development design and consulting firm. “Features like fences or bollards don’t need to be emphasized as one-note safety features. They should be invisible contributors to a resident’s experience of comfort and care.” An overall trend toward smaller sites for seniors housing means that continuum of care communities are innovators in inclusive and multi-purpose space use. They may also serve to address increasing calls for solutions to the loneliness epidemic ongoing in the lives of many adults. While less square …