The needs of seniors are critical as provided by Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA). This is because environment affects people’s behaviours, health, feelings and productivity. Designing senior environments process should consider human-environmental interactions. As such, it involves maintenance, protection and restoration of environments to promote proper behaviours and good health.
In addition, the environment should suit a diverse range of seniors such as those with Alzheimer’s and physical disabilities (Boyer 58). Based on Philadelphia reports, it is essential to consider facilities that can address the rising needs of seniors in the society. Therefore, the facilities should offer seniors an ideal environment to live through enhancement of health and well-being.
Seniors have different needs in urban areas like Philadelphia. Initially, it is necessary to understand that seniors’ requirements are unique. In this case, seniors should have access to specific desires and spaces for social interactions. This implies that the environment should promote a sense of social relations between seniors and caregivers.
Throuwgh this effort, seniors enjoy the convenience of a comfortable environment. Furthermore, the specifications of residential units are vital in maintaining safety of the seniors. Meanwhile, seniors desire to live in a serene environment.
In this regard, seniors desire accessibility to natural daylight, attractive aesthetic colours, minimal noises and rough-textured floors. Such factors will enhance safety of the seniors, which boosts their health conditions (Cekic 63).
It is important to improve the level of seniors’ privacy and dignity within the facility. The facility should offer residents their own rooms. In addition, the rooms should be installed with sinks, tubs, toilets and showers. On the other hand, spa-facilities should be included if they are feasible.
This makes the facility Spartan, which serves the needs of the residents. Moreover, the residents feel a sense of privacy because of reduction in crowding. This is caused by the minimal interference of one’s activities. At the same time, this simulates the nature of privacy witnessed in homes.
Seniors desire homelike settings in the facilities. This involves provision of facilities that are smaller but contain all the essential necessities. Unlike the traditional nursing homes with immense utilities, the facility should mimic the normal home setup. This is because seniors despise living in secluded institutions. Furthermore, the facility should not have large common dining rooms and living rooms.
This implies that residents should relate in the facility as neighbours compared to admitted patients. As a result, the facility in the urban area will consider economies of scale while offering homelike conditions (Boyer 152).
It is vital to introduce cordial design concepts amongst seniors. This creates a feeling of being at home rather than an institution. The facility that hosts seniors should be attractive and conducive. It is essential to utilize creativity to provide a healthy and conducive environment.
This involves the physical appearance of walls, floors and other utilities. In addition, the number of utilities within the facility influences the behaviour and health of seniors. Most seniors prefer additional dining rooms, spacious resting utilities, and safe floors (Cekic 96). In addition, the furniture within the facility should be convenient for use by all residents.
The services offered within the facility should be diverse. In this case, seniors will have the flexibility to choose. Some of the elements within a facility that determines the level of care include the number of expertise available, programs used and other benefits directed to seniors.
Additionally, the process of offering rentals and skilled care should incorporate technology because technology increases the flexibility of seniors to make choices. Moreover, there are technological facilities that can be used to monitor and provide basic services to seniors. This will promote the lifespan of residents since it reduces the level of restrictions.
As the seniors get older, they desire to be offered nursing needs. In this regard, the facility should provide skilled care and nursing to both retirees and old-aged. This implies that the facility should provide adequate care for healthy and feeble seniors.
Through this process, the feeble seniors will not feel discarded once they are too old. Since they will not be discharged, they will get motivated to live without interference caused by change in environment. This is a security for their long-term care (Cooper and Barnes 96).
Since the facility is to be developed around the park in Philadelphia, it implies that seniors will be able to continue with their normal lives because they can still contribute to the economic activities within their residence. In addition, it will prompt more seniors to move to the facility because they cannot drop their normal lives.
Therefore, living in the facility will just be a change of lifestyle rather than a store where the old-aged are dumped. This will encourage them to participate in cultural activities, sports and social responsibilities. Consequently, it will boost their health and fitness making them active over a long period.
The location of the facility within Philadelphia implies that seniors will be able to continue with their urban lifestyles. This will boost accessibility to social amenities. Since the urban area is densely populated, it implies that seniors will not feel secluded. As a result, they can live longer and feel comfortable in the facility (Cooper and Barnes 196). This will also add value because their relations can visit them conveniently.
The senior’s environment should incorporate issues of sustainability. This implies that the facility should be environmental-friendly. Therefore, green design concepts should be incorporated in maintaining the seniors’ facility. Such concepts include energy and water conservation, efficient lighting, day lighting and gardens.
In addition, the facility should be able to accommodate multiple utilities that address human needs. This implies that the facility should be spacious where meetings and conference can be organized. As such, the facility becomes reusable even if the venture becomes infeasible (FitzSimons et al. 148).
The nature of spacing in the organization and apartment layout contributes significantly to the lives of the seniors. Considering that seniors are feeble in the society and demand extra attention, a spacious facility will be important. In this regard, they will have maximum freedom to engage in any event.
This will promote their mental and physical strength. As such, it will minimise crowding. Through this act, they will have a quiet and conducive environment. As a result, they will interact with their counterparts and challenge one another. All these vital elements of the facility will influence positively their health and welfare.
The specifications of the seniors differ considerably with those of the population as a whole caused by the difference in the physical strengths and health of individuals. In most cases, seniors are made up of retirees and the old-aged. Therefore, they do not have adequate strength to engage in active exercises. In addition, most seniors have health issues that have to be handled considerably.
In this case, they have to be provided with special treatment, which widens their lifespan. As such, many issues have to be considered when offering services at their new homes. These new homes should offer essential facilities that consider their needs.
An environment where the seniors’ facility is located is different from where other populations can reside. The seniors already had their active life during the early period, and for that reason, they demand a serene environment with minimal disturbances.
This nature of the environment should be quiet, friendly and spacious. Through such a system, they can interact, relax and participate in physical fitness exercises. All these factors contribute to longer lifespan and health of the seniors.
The urban parks will contribute significantly to the lives of the seniors. Initially, the parks will serve as a relaxing point. In this case, they can interact with one another. Through this act, they will encourage and support one another. At the same time, they will not engage in strenuous activities as to affect their health. When the weather is favourable, parks offer an ideal environment to undertake physical exercises.
These exercises will boost the conditions of their health. Notably, parks have a green environment that offers fresh air and room for other activities. In this case, they will be out of trouble caused by air pollutions when relaxing (FitzSimons et al. 157).
Parks also offer additional area to visit during times of indoor boredom. In this case, seniors will feel comfortable due to the variety of places they can visit because the parks will offer additional homelike settings. Through this process, the individuals will improve the status of their health conditions.
Similarly, spacious environment within the parks gives them a chance to participate in teamwork. In such incidence, they offer one another motivation through life experience. As a result, they will live longer while their welfare is catered.
Another critical element about parks is the interaction that seniors have with other population members. Since the facility is going to be established close to a park, it implies that seniors will have a close relationship with other members of the society. In this regard, parks always group people from all works of life. In addition, it offers people the right to undertake their own activities.
Through this act, the seniors will feel as part of the society. This will be enhanced by the frequent interactions they will have with other people. Moreover, they will be able to contribute back to the community through sharing experience of their childhood and early adulthood. In this case, they will be kept active and healthy for long (Gilster and Margarette 52).
The assistance received from the neighbours at park plays a crucial role towards the lives of the seniors. When seniors are at the parks, they will interact with people from other age groups. In this scenario, they will be assisted on issues they do not understand.
In addition, they can be provided with the necessary support and skilled care from third parties. This process will reduce the boredom caused by monotony within the residential. Consequently, their lives will be the centre of everyone when they are aging. This will boost their level of significance in the society.
Works Cited
Boyer, M Christine. The City of Collective Memory. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 1994. Print.
Cekic, Milosav. “Why I Designed Cancer Parks.” Landscape Architecture 93.5 (2003): 62-100. Print.
Cooper , Marcus, and Barnes Marni. Gardens in Healthcare Facilities: Uses, Therapeutic Benefits, and Design Recommendations. Martinez, CA: The Center for Health Design, 1995. Print.
FitzSimons, J., S Barnhart, and N Perkins. “Behavioural and Setting Preferences at a Psychiatric Hospital.” Landscape and Urban Planning 42.3 (1998): 147-157. Print.
Gilster, Susan D., and Margarette E Beckwith. “The Paradise Garden: A Model for Designing for Those with Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.” Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, 8.1 (1997): 45-52. Print.