practical living
The buildings prioritise amenities and
choice of activities in various social settings,
using a person-centred design approach.
The current ageing population has
far higher expectations than previous
generations when it comes to quality of
life. They are tech savvy, well-travelled and
want to continue to enjoy family, friends and
community. Technology can be used as an
enabler of efficiency and intergenerational
engagement, but how do you incorporate
these things into the residential environment
and in a way that is visually appealing?
SUPPORTING TECHNOLOGIES
Form, function and beauty
How technology and design can
transform our aged care facilities.
By Daniela Kaiser
L
et’s face it, most aged care facilities
aren’t fun. They offer few opportunities
for friends and relatives to enjoy
meaningful activities together because the
focus is on patient management, effective
clinical procedures and infection control.
Evidence suggests that many residents are
passive, under-stimulated and clinically
depressed. Staff are frequently overworked
and stressed.
In the past, housing and aged care
facilities were typically uninspiring places
that few of us would choose to live in. Floor
plans were usually a large-scale version of a
domestic residence with bedrooms, lounge,
kitchen and dining areas.
We need to see elderly people as paying
customers, not people who need managing.
TODAY’S CARE HOMES
These days, there are aged care homes
with adjacent cafes, medical services or
supporting functions such as hair salons
and chapels. But what about other services
and venues? Where are the libraries, shops,
restaurants, museums, music venues, art
galleries, and aquatic or sport centres?
24 agedcareinsite.com.au
People who spend all their time inside
a facility lose connection with the broader
community, so we need to bring the
community to them. Equally, aged care
facilities are traditionally located on the
suburban fringe: what if we make them
the heart of the community and part of
mixed-use development?
What if aged care facilities could be
great places to live and provide a warm,
engaging space that family and friends
would happily visit?
INNOVATION THROUGH DESIGN
Major shifts are occurring within the sector,
driving an increased opportunity to innovate,
rethink and challenge the norms about how
we deliver care, rather than just reacting to
and fixing short-term problems.
Providers are waking up to the fact
that their service needs to deliver more
than just basic care. The focus now needs
to be on delivering exceptional customer
experience, for both the resident and
their visitors.
Design plays a key role in this process.
It can help to synthesise the needs of the
operator, resident and relatives to enhance
the living experience, personalise the service
and reduce cost. Incorporating new digital
products will change the built environment
and challenge the familiar layout of
current facilities.
Lessons can be taken from student
housing and education projects. There the
design is driven by market demand and
customer expectations with an emphasis
on fun, interaction, stimulation and
engagement. Spaces within these buildings
offer the opportunity to learn, read, study,
rest, exercise and, most of all, socialise.
There are many technologies emerging to
support the management of facilities, to
assist and provide staff with valuable data,
to help with access control, and to achieve
passive surveillance through smart sensors.
These technologies are designed to make
operations more efficient, so carers are
able to spend more time with the residents.
This might include embedding sensors in
apartments that set off an alarm if a resident
falls, or a device that allows people with
limited mobility to control appliances using
hand gestures. This technology might be
used to assess a resident’s behaviour and
cognitive function over a period of time.
MULTIGENERATIONAL DESIGN
Imagine walking around a facility where
you can explore different areas at your
leisure. Think fixed stations with visual
interactive screens offering various digital
activities, computer games and immersive
experiences catering for all age groups,
fitness levels and cognitive abilities.
These immersive platforms encourage
talking points among residents themselves,
residents and carers, and families or friends.
They offer a positive way to get children
involved with elderly residents too – both
can assist each other and learn, creating a
bonding experience. There are programs
like Ageless Play, known from the ABC TV
series Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds,
featuring multigenerational playgroups. The
results of these social experiments showed
that intergenerational contact can improve
the health and wellbeing of older people,
helping them lead happier, healthier lives.
For the built environment, this means
radical change. The introduction of
technology requires safe, purpose-built
areas where residents can have 24-hour
access. The technology must be easy to
use by staff, residents and visitors. Some of
the main immersive design features could
be located close to the main entry and be