Designing the interiors at retirement communities involves much more than just picking out the most useful seating or attractive cushion. The layout, furnishings, and decor of amenities can directly impact the happiness of residents, their families, and even the caregiving team.
Many retirees and their family members cite a desirable and “homey” appeal as a key deciding aspect when selecting a retirement community, which is not surprising. Of course, no one wants to live in a house that is dark, worn out, outdated, uncomfortable, or in any other way undesirable. However, given that many retired people spend their days at home, design can be particularly significant to them. Let’s understand how interior design at a senior living apartment in Melson, TX affects your loved one’s health:
Lighting
To help residents maneuver safely without falls, bumps, or getting lost, your community must have adequate lighting in the hallways. This holds true for all public spaces, including libraries, theatres, fitness centers, and dining areas, where lighting reduces the risk of accidents involving food and utensils or other potential hazards.
Flooring
Selecting the right flooring can effectively deter falls and improve an individual’s overall mobility. Even though rugs are attractive accent pieces in many people’s homes, they present a trip risk in retirement communities.
The flooring can also influence the acoustics of a space. For instance, carpets can enhance acoustics, enabling residents to communicate and hear each other better.
Hard-surface flooring with a shiny finish may make a person with poor vision uneasy because they might perceive it as slick and be reluctant to walk on it, reducing their participation in the community.
Furniture Choices
The room layout should promote social interaction with groups of couches, ideally with differing seat heights, so that dwellers can choose a chair that closely matches their comfort requirements. The décor and furniture should be relatable. Corridor seating is crucial because it gives residents a place to rest as they move from one house area to another, promoting independence and social interaction.
Community Spaces
Community spaces impact your loved one’s social health in the ways you might anticipate: by fostering more engagement, social interaction, and a sense of belonging.
The areas need to be made safe from a mobility standpoint, considering that some residents might need a wheelchair, cane, or walker and require more room to move around and turn. Designers must plan for more open spaces and clear any confined areas that might become crowded and pose a safety risk.
Color Selection
Loss of appetite is a well-known problem among retirees, especially those who need memory care or have other cognitive issues. Warmer hues like oranges and reds have been shown to help with appetite stimulation, making them excellent choices for settings that provide care for people with cognitive needs.
Colors like blue and warm grey can be calming and help reduce agitation in communities where residents may also become agitated more easily.
Outdoor Spaces
Numerous studies have demonstrated the health advantages of being outside. Being in nature or outside can help to increase innovation and brain function, reduce stress and aches, hasten recovery, increase vitamin D intake, and improve sleep quality.
A retirement community that wants to succeed must focus on interior design. Although accessories and art are frequently considered nice-to-haves, they are essential components of a home because they give it a domestic feel and remind occupants of their location. Such a wide range of enhancements can be made, from minor adjustments to complete overhauls.
