The why and how of redesigning retirement communities for aging in place

ABSTRACT

Continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) typically offer three levels of care – independent living (IL), assisted living (AL), and nursing care. As resident health and abilities decline, relocation is required to obtain the next level of care. This is a cause for concern due to the numerous documented ill effects associated with relocating the elderly. These negative outcomes are due, in part, to social relationships being severed because of the relocation. This is relevant to designers because building design can go beyond supporting physical functioning and address social needs. This study explores how facility design might reduce need-based relocations by supporting aging in place. To support social needs for residents of varying capabilities, one design strategy is designing for walkability, that is, the ease of experiencing space on foot. With advancing age, decreased mobility commonly makes trips to interact with others more difficult, resulting in isolation. Thus, facilitating walkability is essential when designing for the entire life span. To identify design strategies to support residents aging in place, this paper examines evidence from a mixed-methods, correlational study (IL, n = 179 and AL, n = 28) of a Southeastern region CCRC. Data sources include resident surveys and site analyses. Phase 1 of this study indicated social space proximity to residents’ living units, and daily paths of travel predicted how well social spaces were liked and used. Phase 2, which is the focus of this paper, expanded upon those findings by establishing travel distances to fulfill a need have both a fixed magnitude (actual distance) and perceived magnitude which varies according to user group capabilities. These findings advance the discussion of reconsidering CCRC design and indicate CCRC plan configurations must be carefully organized and scaled to support aging in place.

KEYWORDS:

• Continuing care retirement communities
• facility design
• social space design
• environment and behavior
• walkability

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Nichole M. Campbell

Nichole M. Campbell is a research scholar for Shimberg Center for Housing Studies in University of Florida’s Rinker School of Construction Management. Her research area is design and building that optimizes health and wellness, with emphasis on elderly inhabitants and supporting social interaction through the built environment.