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Cultivating Comfort Cultivating comfort is only one key factor in
Creating a secure environment is key to effective providing thoughtful, customized design for
memory support design. Not only for residents memory care communities and their residents.
but for staff as well. Since residents often Not only do we need to take into consideration a
struggle with their whereabouts, designing a person’s emotional needs, but their physical needs
space that provides both familiarity and comfort as well. This is where activity-centered design comes
is paramount to their safety and well-being. For into play.
staff, this also helps to reinforce an atmosphere
that’s conducive to providing excellent care. Some “Creating a secure
ways we implement comfort through design
environment is key
include:
■ Residential vs. Institutional – Residents to effective memory
need their surroundings to be their home, and
implementing residential design elements support design. Not
helps to create that environment. By avoiding only for residents but
institutional furniture and sterile finishes, and
instead using residential furniture, textures, for staff as well.”
and lighting arrangements, the residents are
able to feel at home.
■ Neighborhoods – It’s best not to have Enhancing Activity
a large number of residents in a memory Implementing thoughtful design in response to
support wing at a time. By incorporating residents’ physical needs results in enhanced activity.
living spaces that include “neighborhoods” By providing spaces that encourage socialization,
of four to six residents, it gives the resident mental stimulation, and physical play, the memory
the ability to get to know the people that are care community is able to provide a better quality of
living in proximity to them and provides a life for the resident. Activity is crucial to maintaining
sense of familiarity. a resident’s identity as they navigate the enigmatic
stages of dementia, and design features including
■ Dining Areas – Providing a communal activity rooms, wander gardens, and customized
setting like farm table seating for residents interactive elements serve to strengthen their care.
to dine with family or friends allows for
socialization. Additionally, providing ■ Activity Rooms – Whether for physical
multiple table settings for residents to play, therapeutic practices, or socialization,
choose from allows for each resident’s activity rooms provide a place where residents
specific lifestyle need. While some may enjoy physical exertion and meaningful social
prefer to dine alone, others may have a interaction. Simply more than just a place for
visiting friend or spouse that would like to exertion, the design of such rooms can include
dine with them.
features like bookcases or shelving that also
■ Bedrooms – Designing bedrooms for serve as monitoring structures where nurses
individuals allows for enhanced caregiving. can watch over residents in common spaces,
While some industry leaders believe that but still give residents a sense of independence.
having a shared room is beneficial, creating
private room settings for each resident
BERNARDON | Creating Effective Design for Memory Care Communities Page 2
