The ideal senior living community has a lot more to offer than excellent doctors and medical personnel. Senior living construction should also have easy access to utilities, universal accessibility, and a plethora of amenities to make a senior very comfortable in their new living space.
Here are the top 10 new housing trends for senior living.
1. The Use of Technology
A popular emerging senior housing trend is the use of tech to engage senior citizens.
Smart-home technologies are taking over senior living spaces with smart thermostats, automatic lights, 5G networks, and advanced security systems. These are all must-haves for giving senior citizens a sense of security and comfort.
Senior living communities are being decked out with all the latest streaming and entertainment platforms, from Alexa to AppleTV. They are able to watch all their favorite shows and more now with updated technology in common and private rooms.
A lot of measures are being put into place to help seniors lead an independent life while living in a senior living home. High-tech monitors and sensors provide around the clock care for residents in senior living communities
In addition, high-tech GPS trackers help supervise and assist senior citizens with dementia to live a quality life and help them to adapt to their environment.
2. A Fitness Center Within the Senior Living Homes
Senior living construction projects are now incorporating fitness centers to engage senior citizens and keep them in shape. Designing a gym within the senior living community will be a huge attraction for prospective residents.
If you are considering including a fitness center in your senior living community, keep the following points in mind to ensure it is fully equipped for the residents.
- The gym equipment: The equipment will be used by senior residents who aren’t as nimble as they used to be, so place the equipment close to the main entrance for easy access.
- Space: If you are building high-capacity residential quarters, like a senior living community, your gym should be equally spacious to accommodate many people.
- The Staff: The staff is one of the most important components of a successful fitness center in a senior living community. The staff not only needs to be knowledgeable about senior fitness, but they need to be equipped with the correct emergency response in case a resident has a health emergency. The staff should have a full view of the entire fitness center so they can keep watch over all the residents.
Pools are becoming increasingly popular among senior living communities. Pools are a great avenue for rehabilitation and a great source of exercise for senior citizens. Many senior living construction projects are making pools part of their construction plan because it will attract many potential residents.
3. Focus on the Location
The location of a modern senior living community should be dictated by where most seniors would want to live. The residents are going to spend all their time in and around this building, so location is very important. More and more senior living homes are being built near natural scenery, like a pond or breathtaking view, for the residents to enjoy on an outdoor stroll around the grounds.
4. Thoughtful Architecture
The internal and external environment of the senior living home has a tremendous effect on the health, mood, and overall happiness of your senior citizens. Modern senior living communities now utilize modern architecture to make the building look more appealing, welcoming, and functional. It is important to incorporate a personal touch into the design so the residents can feel right at home.
5. On-site Healthcare Services
An on-site clinic meets the senior community’s health needs and helps monitor the health of the senior citizens. Senior living construction projects are setting up on-site clinics to help perform routine medical exams, attend to urgent health concerns, and advise residents on nutrition.
These on-site healthcare centers can include primary care physicians, dentists, podiatrists, audiologists, and more to ensure senior citizens are getting the best care.
6. Pet-Friendly Spaces
Some residents cannot imagine life without their favorite companions. There is no reason a senior should be forced to live without their best friend. Senior communities are making room for furry friends in new construction projects.
Senior living communities should cater to the pet’s spatial requirements, including off-leash areas and walking trails. Provide open space for residents’ pets to play outside and run around. Placing small shade structures around the senior living property will allow places for residents to comfortably enjoy the outdoors while being with their favorite companions.
7. Neutral Wooden Tones are Getting Popular
The neutral brown wood adds warmth to a space and enhances its design. Whether you incorporate wood tones in designing the reception, dining areas, or the kitchen, it has a timeless look that senior citizens will love.
There’s an increasing shift from using bold, dark-toned wood to light and mid-toned wood in furnishing indoor spaces in a senior living home. Wood types like natural walnut, ash, birch, and oak are incorporated in fixtures, finishes, and furniture to create pleasing aesthetics.
8. Outdoor Theatres
Create an outdoor movie experience for the senior citizens. Treat the seniors to a night of film, without leaving their backyard! You should factor in the seating space, pathways, and warm outdoor lighting when designing the theater space. Remember there should be clear walkways with no obstructions so senior citizens can navigate the space with ease.
Play different movies at the same time by building more than one outdoor theater. This allows the residents to choose their preferred movie. The senior citizens will love gazing at the stars while their favorite films are playing.
9. Self-Service Points
Occasionally, the residents will want to grab a quick snack or drink. Self-service is convenient with no waiting in long lines. The seniors only need to swipe their keycards to get their favorite snacks at the station.
Self-service is among the top senior housing trends likely to continue. It’s popular due to the low maintenance and minimal staff needed to keep the self-service station running.
Obviously, some residents will need their plate made for them or delivered to their room, which is why a full kitchen and staff is needed.
Staffing is expensive, and using the self-serve approach as much as possible in senior living communities lets the staff focus more on providing personal attention where it’s needed.
10. Enhanced Hospitality
This senior housing trend combines a homey feel with hotel amenities to create an inspiring living space for senior citizens. Senior living communities are feeling more and more like fancy resorts. The goal is to make the senior citizen feel like they are on a getaway vacation with more amenities and care than they could ever wish for.
Recently, there has been an increasing trend to offer fine dining in senior living communities. The ideal senior home now has a dining restaurant and full-service pub. Such restaurants and pubs offer exciting menu items that residents can indulge in over great conversation.
Bottom Line
These are some of the most popular senior living construction trends in new or renovated senior living facilities. In conclusion, the modern senior living community has a variety of finishes, exciting and fun colors and textures, and open-plan spaces. Sliding doors, large outdoor spaces, and self-service stations are also among the most popular senior housing trends. Nature also continues to play a role in enhancing senior living spaces. Indoor potted plants and flowers are therapeutic, and they bring the outdoors inside.
Senior living communities are constantly evolving and improving to ensure the residents are receiving a luxurious experience in their new homes.
