Humanizing Assisted Senior Living
Despite Peter Pan’s best efforts, growing older is a fact of life. While it happens gradually, the level of care required for an aging loved one can vary greatly. Regardless of the circumstances, chances are we all will have to face decisions for care before we’re ready. That’s one of the many reasons that we’re dedicated to humanizing assisted senior living. Our goal is to provide assisted senior housing where people want to live and where a sustainable, happy life is evident.
In America, our approach to senior living has historically been technical and sterile. Walking the long corridors with small rooms made buildings feel more like hospitals and less like forever homes. People are living longer, and it is important that they are engaged, active, and social. By creating spaces for aging seniors, we humanize and bring dignity to the process. Our philosophy is this: just because a person has to move out of his/her home does not mean they are not deserving of a welcoming place to live. In fact, it’s quite the contrary. They are more deserving of it.
The approach to senior living is rapidly changing, and we’ve experienced it first hand. Like we’ve seen with millennial housing, innovative approaches to senior living, including mixed-use developments, are on the rise. Having design-build experience in the senior living sector has given Evergreen a behind the scenes look at the design process. We know that small details matter. Something as simple as having a doorbell can change the way someone feels about their room. Despite illnesses like dementia and Alzheimer’s, we know giving residents as much power as possible enables them to feel comfortable and at peace. We see the value in having areas to gather to socialize or enjoy family style meals. For residents, it creates a sense of community, and studies even show a direct link between happiness and longevity. A home-like setting makes everyone more comfortable, and the more conveniences we bring into the assisted living home, the better it is for everyone.
We also understand the importance of medical care when it comes to senior living. We pride ourselves on creating coveted care spaces. On site medical care does not have to feel like an uncomfortable, anxiety ridden trip to the doctor’s office. We know having physical and occupational therapy in a safe and known environment makes the resident more likely to participate. Community is also a critical component of senior care. Planned activities, plenty of outdoor space, and a sense of community and belonging is invaluable. Fostering an environment where family and friends feel welcome makes visits enjoyable and helps ease the transition for everyone including the resident.
This idea of transition is hard to wrap your head around, and moving a loved one to assisted living can often be challenging to navigate. However, there is no reason that this new chapter needs to be scary or intimidating for anyone. The most important step in the process is finding the right fit for your family. We recommend a place where both the resident and extended family feel comfortable and at home. Plan to move personal items to the new residence to not only provide comfort, but reinforce that this new place is now home. Assisted senior living facilities work with families to create a new normal with new routines for residents. This is especially important for memory care patients or for seniors that have been alone for sometime without structured activities. While the transition can initially feel hard, once it is complete, most seniors wish they had made the move sooner.
As we navigate assisted senior living in the future, we will remain dedicated to best practices for buildings that give residents safety, comfort, and most of all, quality of life. Whether through our passion for quaint communities or our commitment to staying ahead of the industry trends, we’re looking forward to leading the pack in senior living construction.