Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 20

KEYNOTE
far, is encouraging residents to use prevalent
outdoor spaces to safely socialize from a
distance and leveraging technology to keep
people connected.
The weeks and months after the COVID-19
Alternatively, at Sunrise Senior Living comoutbreak began, which included a devastating
munities (325 across the U.S., Canada, and
spread across skilled nursing communities,
United Kingdom), residents tend to be
have presented the senior living
frailer, many residing in assisted living
design industry with the necessity
and memory care environments and
not just to respond to the crisis but
requiring a bit more strategy in terms
to learn from the experience and
of safe indoor interaction. Coelho said
apply lessons to future projects. In a
dining is a first area of focus, with fewer
keynote panel that kicked off the EFA
residents seated at one time, each at
Virtual Conference, industry leaders
a separate table but facing another
explored topics tied to this current
Jennifer Kovacs Silvis
resident at the next table to permit
landscape, including ways to safely
interaction. "This is our walk before
reopen and balance clinical solutions
we run ... we'll do this for a while until
in residential environments as well
conditions allow us to move on to a
as how senior living design might
future phase," he said.
change for good.
However, the panel also addressed
"Aftermath of COVID-19: New
how skilled nursing has specifically
Approaches to Senior Living Design"
been hit hard by COVID-19, with reVassar Byrd
included panelists Vassar Byrd,
ports showing as many as one-third of
CEO of Rose Villa Senior Living;
deaths occurring in nursing settings.
Andy Coelho, senior vice president,
McRoberts said that the industry has
facilities, design, and development at
made great strides over the past 10-15
Sunrise Senior Living; Eric McRobyears in introducing smaller neighborerts, partner at RLPS Architects; and
hood models and private bathrooms
Jill Schroeder, senior planner and
that have proven to be more successful
senior interior designer at Pope ArAndy Coelho
in weathering the virus. "Those types
chitects. The panel was moderated
of communities have fared much better
by Environments for Aging magazine
during this pandemic than some of the
Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Kovacs Silvis.
older institutional settings," he said,
Speakers first shared insight on
while environments with two to four
how, from the owner side, communiresidents sharing a space is where
ties are progressing from wholesale
many problems occurred.
Eric McRoberts
shutdowns (residents restricted to
And though the neighborhood modunits, no-visitation policies) to easel appears to be one solution, the cost
ing into a reopening. Rose Villa, an
of pursuing such a project is still out
outdoor-oriented continuing care
of reach for many. "How do we take
retirement community in Portland,
some of those older communities and
Ore., has been set up well to control
make them safer for residents during a
the risk of virus spread, Byrd said,
pandemic?" McRoberts said. To spur
thanks to no resident units conJill Schroeder
change, Schroeder suggested that
nected via long corridors nor a lot of
data will be a useful tool, capturing the
recirculating air. And, now, the community is
effectiveness of these environments during
launching its "re-entry" program. For example,
the pandemic to inspire investment. McRobresidents will be permitted to use fitness,
erts also added that the crisis may spur state
restaurant, and salon facilities by appointment
and federal organizations to brainstorm how
only; serendipitous social encounters indoors
to move away from semiprivate layouts.
would not be allowed. "Honestly, that's really
Overall, regardless of setting, the panel
kind of horrible, as the essence of community
agreed that the social isolation resulting
is being together," Byrd said. The solution, so

AFTERMATH OF
COVID-19

20

EFAmagazine.com * Summer 2020

from the COVID-19 crisis is one that must
be addressed thoughtfully through design.
One component of that is better controlling
who is entering a community, as visitors and
staff were likely the major cause of spreads
seen in skilled nursing. A solution Coelho is
considering deeply is technology used in the
entry sequence such as health screening devices, even portals built into the architecture,
to ensure safety.
The panel also discussed ways to support visits from family and friends, even in a
pandemic response scenario. For example,
Schroeder shared ideas for family visitation
areas, as providers have already converted
spaces like libraries and conference spaces
for that purpose. And in terms of achieving
necessary safety standards, from cleanable
fabrics and surfaces to handwashing sinks
and hand sanitizer stations, the panel sent out
a call to manufacturers to be partners in the
process so that the arguably clinical elements
likely to be introduced won't detract from the
residential settings the industry has worked
so hard to achieve (for example, touchless
technology in faucets and fixtures that look
elegant and high-end). "We should be looking
for things that are beautiful and useful, that
people can be proud of," Coelho said.
Going forward, the panel expects senior
living environments to be changed in several
ways. On the design side, McRoberts looks
toward a future where dining will now fully
shift away from buffets and salad bars to
rethink food delivery. Schroeder said her
focus is on staff retention and celebrating the
efforts of senior living community workers
for their efforts, hopefully resulting in more
design solutions to provide respite and safety.
On behalf of owners, recognizing that a
major design change will likely be increased
institutionalization due to safety measures,
Byrd urged design professionals to collaborate and turn to colleagues across design
sectors to share ideas. Coelho similarly
worries about a shift in how communities
feel, particularly in terms of social isolation. "My concern is that we bend too far
backwards, and I hope we come out of this
with the ability to have those interactions,"
he said. "I hope we are constantly watching
that balance."-Jennifer Silvis


http://www.EFAmagazine.com

Environments for Aging - Summer 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Environments for Aging - Summer 2020

Environments for Aging - Summer 2020
Contents
EFAmagazine.com
Editorial
Show Talk
Bulletin
Photo Tour
Connecting point
In the spotlight
Guiding lights
Company Listing
Category Index
Category Listing
The Spark
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - Environments for Aging - Summer 2020
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - Cover2
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 1
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - Contents
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 3
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - EFAmagazine.com
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 5
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 6
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - Editorial
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - Show Talk
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 9
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - Bulletin
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 11
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 12
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 13
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - Photo Tour
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 15
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 16
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 17
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - Connecting point
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 19
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 20
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 21
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 22
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 23
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 24
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - In the spotlight
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 26
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 27
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 28
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 29
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - Guiding lights
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 31
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 32
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 33
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 34
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 35
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 36
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 37
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - Company Listing
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 39
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 40
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 41
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 42
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 43
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 44
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 45
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 46
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 47
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 48
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 49
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 50
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 51
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 52
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - Category Index
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 54
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - Category Listing
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 56
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 57
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 58
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 59
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 60
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 61
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 62
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 63
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - The Spark
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - Cover3
Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/efa/202312
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/efa/202306
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/efa/2023spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/efa/efa-2022-winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/efa/2022summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/efa/2022spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/efa/2021Winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/efa/Summer2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/efa/Spring2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/efa/fall2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/efa/summer2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/efa/2020summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/efa/2020spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/efa/2019fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/efa/2019summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/efa/2019spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/efa/2018fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/efa/2018summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/efa/2018spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/efa/2017fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/efa/2017spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/efa/2017winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/efa/2016fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/efa/2016spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/efa/201510
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com