Our physical and mental health knowledge continues to increase and change every single year. 2022 is no exception with recent events spurring many changes. Senior Living Specialists wanted to look at five of the design movements we are seeing Texas senior facilities take on in 2022.
Movement #1: Biophilia
What in the world is biophilia and how does it relate to assisted living? In a nutshell, it is the idea of tying nature to the holistic well-being of humans to the outdoors and nature. A movement we are seeing become more and more popular in 2022 is facilities creating unique ways to help their residents experience elements of nature even if they are less mobile.
We have seen the usage of wood and trees (even if artificial) be brought indoors along with giant cascading bay windows to outdoor areas. There are other assisted living facilities in Texas that have begun growing herbs and other plants on the indoor towers that can keep them alive all year round.
The idea of people experiencing nature as a healing “power” isn’t a new one. It has been around since at least the 80’s when the term was originally coined but has been a part of humanity for decades longer. The healing power of nature isn’t just limited to residents – many of the employees at assisted living facilities also benefit from the inclusion of nature elements in a facility.
Movement #2: Technology Infrastructure
Unfortunately, a lack in technology and bandwidth was one of the worst kept secrets in many of the assisted living facilities throughout Texas. It seems that the recent pandemic has highlighted how far behind they were when people were unable to even FaceTime with an ailing loved one because of lacking technology.
It appears that facilities across Texas are getting over the fear associated with costs and the fact that technology changes daily by investing in infrastructure. They are focusing those efforts to make sure Zoom calls with family members and Telemed visits are readily available for all residents.
Movement #3: Less Clinical, More Living
While this movement hasn’t just started in 2022, it has become a larger focal point for many assisted living facilities (especially new ones being built). The idea of having a hallway of 40 rooms with several residents and staff cluttering the hallway. The old design made residents feel more like a room number and not be able to socialize based on the sheer number of other residents around them.
The new movement is making sections of the assisted living facility have 12-15 suites clustered together with their own socializing area. It helps to create more of a small community and create less isolation for residents. There are some facilities that are also having each cluster get their own dedicated air systems in case another large spread pandemic occurs that requires better isolation (something that was admittedly a big problem during Covid-19).
Movement #4: Rethinking Shared Furniture Material
If you have ever gone through and toured several assisted living facilities and come across a chair that looks worn and been sitting there for several years. Another lesson that Covid has taught assisted living facilities in Texas is to rethink the material that furniture is made of.
A focus around anti-microbial material that can also be washed and disinfected is starting to become a mainstay at many communities.
Movement #5: Rethinking Staff Workspaces and Workflows
A challenge that many of the assisted living facilities are facing in 2022 (and years to come) are staff shortages. While they aren’t alone as an industry in this workforce challenge, it is one that can literally save lives or endanger them if a facility is not fully staffed.
Many facilities are looking at improving workflows to help improve efficiencies and also use technology to handle many of the time-consuming but menial tasks of staff. Bringing nature into staff workspaces along with modern amenities like charge stations for cell phones have become popular. It is also common for facilities to have a psychological check-in for staff as the job can be a mentally tiring one.
