Designing for Better Eldercare
SABmag, reprinted with permission
Sustainable Architecture & Building Magazine
Issue #57, Fall 2017
By Rudy P. Friesen, FRAIC
For too long, eldercare has been corrupted by the view that aging is a medical problem. The language is medical and facilities are like hospitals. Anything to make eldercare more efficient and expedient. Elders are warehoused and, when they become agitated, they are managed with drugs. No wonder they feel lonely, bored, and worthless. No wonder they lash out.
The recognition that elders deserve better, and that aging is contextual and individual, has given rise to the household model. Facilities are more home-like. Elders are placed in compatible groupings. Dining is family-style. Schedules are flexible, and routines are familiar. The quality of care is higher. The use of suppressants to manage behaviour is significantly reduced. Capital and operating costs are lower. Residents, staff, and families all seem happier.
While the household model is a great improvement, it's uptake has been slow. Out-dated regulations hold it back. Vestiges of the medical model remain. Doors are kept locked, and residents have a minimal connection with the community. Since each household usually has 10 to 12 residents, the scale is not that of a familiar family home. Residents visit with guests in their bedrooms. This is an abnormal environment. We can do better.
As designers, we know how to solve problems and create healthy environments that help people flourish. We also know how to challenge regulations and norms, understand their purposes and objectives, and develop creative and alternative ways to achieve them. So, let's put our heads together and solve the problems facing eldercare.
The RAIC Age-Friendly Housing Task Force will present an education session, called Innovative Design for Healthy Aging, on November 30 at IIDEX 2017 in Toronto. I will be presenting along with Betsy Williamson, FRAIC.
Rudy Friesen is the founder and Partner Emeritus of ft3 Architecture Landscape Interior Design in Winnipeg. He has been spearheading innovative solutions for elder housing for decades, and recently founded ELDERin.ca, an organization dedicated to healthy aging in the community.
The recognition that elders deserve better, and that aging is contextual and individual, has given rise to the household model. Facilities are more home-like. Elders are placed in compatible groupings. Dining is family-style. Schedules are flexible, and routines are familiar. The quality of care is higher. The use of suppressants to manage behaviour is significantly reduced. Capital and operating costs are lower. Residents, staff, and families all seem happier.
While the household model is a great improvement, it's uptake has been slow. Out-dated regulations hold it back. Vestiges of the medical model remain. Doors are kept locked, and residents have a minimal connection with the community. Since each household usually has 10 to 12 residents, the scale is not that of a familiar family home. Residents visit with guests in their bedrooms. This is an abnormal environment. We can do better.
As designers, we know how to solve problems and create healthy environments that help people flourish. We also know how to challenge regulations and norms, understand their purposes and objectives, and develop creative and alternative ways to achieve them. So, let's put our heads together and solve the problems facing eldercare.
The RAIC Age-Friendly Housing Task Force will present an education session, called Innovative Design for Healthy Aging, on November 30 at IIDEX 2017 in Toronto. I will be presenting along with Betsy Williamson, FRAIC.
Rudy Friesen is the founder and Partner Emeritus of ft3 Architecture Landscape Interior Design in Winnipeg. He has been spearheading innovative solutions for elder housing for decades, and recently founded ELDERin.ca, an organization dedicated to healthy aging in the community.
