Environments for Aging - Spring 2022 - 66

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Q&A
with Diana Spellman
President and CEO, Spellman Brady & Company
What drew you to the senior living
design sector?
SBC was founded with a focus in healthcare
interior design; hence our passion for creating
environments that fully support individuals,
their families, and caregivers during signifi cant
life transitions. This experience, plus the love
Stan and I had for our large extended families
of grandparents and great aunts and uncles
in our youth, motivated our fi rm to engage
with senior living clients in the early 1990s.
From the beginning, our early engagement
with residents to foster connection to their
home and community through memories and
personal choice helped create positive sensory
experiences and whole-person wellness. We
still maintain this approach as a pillar of our
success after 28 years.
What defi ned senior living design 10
years ago and what defi nes it now?
In the past, the interiors of senior communities
were designed in a more traditional style,
transitional at best. Often, there was a formal
and an informal dining area, and amenity
spaces were standardized, lacking in choice
and fl exiblity.
Today's housing has larger integrated outdoor
spaces. This indoor-outdoor relationship
creates the perfect setting for more energized
colors, vibrant patterns, contrast, and texture.
Lighting is utilized as a much stronger design
element. Our designers are enthusiastic to
design for the active aging population-to
create environments that promote living life to
the fullest.
How do you involve
residents to ensure their
voices are heard in the
design process?
Our motto is " listen, guide,
deliver. " We start by listening to
administration and residents. It's
important to understand their
goals, the catalyst for making
the change, nuances of their
residents and staff, marketplace,
and competition. " What
does everyday life look like at
your community? "
Understanding the answers to
those key questions helps our
team organize thought-starters
to direct a plan for engagement
ANTHOLOGY AT FARMINGTON HILLS. PHOTO: © ALISE O'BRIEN.
with residents, family, and staff throughout
our design process. Finish boards, design
presentations, and furniture fairs allow all to
vote for their preferences. Ultimately, making
the entire design experience as interactive
as possible leaves little room for disappointment-and
helps us make their new residence
a home.
How do you educate clients on culture
change and resident-centered care,
why is it important?
Our team keeps " home " and " community "
at the forefront of every design decision we
make. That's why research is key; we engage
residents early and often, and align our designs
with market-driven data.
Resident-centered care should address
the social psychological interpretation of the
residents. Our designers spend time understanding
the region's native landscape and
materials as well as the fl ora and fauna. The
more connected their new home is to the
community in both materials and culture, the
happier the residents.
Design also needs to have a stronger focus
on the needs of staff. Staff spaces have traditionally
been a low priority in all types of senior
housing and care communities, yet employees
are the bedrock of the community. Creating
effi cient, ergonomic-supported settings makes
caring for the residents safer and helps improve
staff retention.
spellmanbrady.com
http://www.spellmanbrady.com
Environments for Aging - Spring 2022

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