Hacking Nursing Homes of the Future [Infographic]

Nursing homes have a tentative perception and reputation for their ability to take care of their residents.  These facilities should always be adapting and innovating, but it seems recently they have fallen behind.  A lot of these problems deal with the architectural design of these buildings, as many of them are in need of revamping their current structure. But first, the basics must be understood and followed.  All nursing homes require the same basic structure--patient rooms, lobby spaces, public and private bathrooms, staff rooms, and food preparation areas, all with safety at the forefront when creating these designs.

Design is key when building these modern nursing homes, as it is essential to create a place that balances quality and safety, which is why these places should put an emphasis on high quality and budget-friendly flooring, technology, and appliances when selecting products. They should be curated with attention and detail. Some important factors to consider when designing include understanding the audience and their needs, how to work from the inside out, and diversifying the types of space included, ranging from public to private to outdoor areas. There should be a healthy mix, to create a balanced structure.

To build a successful nursing home, the budget should focus on the quality of care and life. Managers and designers should find ways to automate repetitive tasks so that employees can focus more on the patients to eliminate any unnecessary tasks.  Furthermore, the consideration of the quality of life is vital to the foundation of designing nursing homes, since it should be creating large spaces that are open and safe for the patients.  Safety is key in these tasks since the nursing homes should be a place of comfort and security for the patients, which is why the flooring design is so important. Carpets should be replaced with floors that are easy to be disinfected to slow germs and slip-resistant to prevent falls or injury. 

The overall feeling evoked from nursing homes should be one of homeliness and safety, not detachment or impersonal. The facility should feel like a home, not an institution, and design is key to that.