5 Tips for Renovating a Senior Living Facility

An old age home should consist of a wide-space living area for the slow-moving older citizens, with soft-edged and easy-to-use appliances and with carefully installed lighting in all corners to ensure safety at all times.

These are the few things to consider in renovating old-age homes for senior citizens. Let’s go further.

A study conducted by The Residential Care for the Elderly shows about 800,000 to a million elderly people in the United States who reside in licensed senior living facilities, which is also known as assisted living or residential care. There is a thought that the same number is also living in unlicensed old age homes.

Relative to that, California’s licensed senior living income facilities include small family homes, foster family homes, social rehabilitation facilities, group homes, and residential care facilities. There are currently 7,400 licensed residential care facilities for the elderly (RCFEs) in California that serve home and care for more than 185,000 senior residents. Out of these, 83% RCFEs are licensed to serve up to 15 residents while the remaining 16% of the senior living facilities are allowed to house 16 or more residents.

A reported figure of about 6 percent of these facilities have more than 100 beds, and most of their RCFEs in California are private and for-profit operations.

According to Provider Magazine, the priority during the construction and renovation of old age homes is nothing but the safety of the old patients and residents and the necessary plans and actions needed to keep them all from harm. And with that said, it is important to be in partnership with a trustworthy general contractor, who can produce excellent results out of the collaborated ideas that will meet the overall satisfaction of the senior living facility staff, the residents, and their families.

Here are the listed 7 Tips in Helping to a Successful Renovation of a Senior Living Facility:

1. Start with a Plan

There are many construction companies with experience in handling a senior living facility that will help with the allotted budget while ensuring safety with a senior-friendly design and decoration. Remember, every single decision matters. Chairs should offer comfort and be easily movable in and out of a room or somewhere else. Bathrooms should have senior-appropriate heights, and the list goes on.

It is important to keep the interiors of old age homes appealing and long-lasting to be enjoyed by the residents. However, the goal is to stick within the allocated budget and not “over-renovating” the facility.

2. Communicate with the involved Residents

The residents of the senior living facility must be involved in building renovation to establish a working environment that is full of trust. It is important for the staff and the residents that they trust the people they are working with. Residents would also be pleased to be involved in the construction and renovation process. That is why a small meeting will matter to answer a few questions from the staff and the residents that may affect their way of living with the ongoing construction and their way of living after the renovation. When the opinions and suggestions are put together, the expected result shall favor the staff and the residents. That is why open and real-time communication is a must.

3. Ensure Accessibility for the Seniors

When renovating a senior living facility, accessibility should be the topmost consideration for easy navigation. Ask your renovation contractor to create a design layout entailing various accessible features that most nursing, independent, assisted living, and memory care communities require.

• Make the entry points of the old age home wheelchair-accessible by facilitating wide doorways and hallways, ramps, grab bars, and handrails.
• Small improvements in bathrooms like installing grab bars, shower seats, doorknobs, touch switches, lever handles or pedal controls for sink faucets, and sensor lighting systems can enable senior citizens to move and operate the space independently.
• For those with cognitive problems like dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, the general contractor should plan prominent visual signage and color-contrasting design elements.
• Light makes a huge difference to memory care units. Hence, consider installing LED lighting with supplementary decorative lights to brighten up the area. Illuminating recessed lighting should be installed on cabinets, kitchen countertops, laundry rooms, and closets.
• Safety precautions are extremely important inside the old age home. Look if the space is free of risky hazards such as loose carpets or rugs, uneven flooring, or cluttered spaces that could lead to trips or falls.

Designing an accessible old age home help seniors live independently and comfortably, making the building an equitable space.

4. Consider a touch of technology in the facility.

One integral part of the construction management of a senior living facility is selecting the much-needed medium of entertainment and communication between the residents and their families outside the facility. Many high-end senior living facilities have upgraded to more exciting places by adding features and amenities that are helpful to the residents. They include an ice cream corner, a country store, a post office, and a theatre room.

Some senior living facilities have improved their theatre room with comfortable seating, beautifully hanging curtains, concession stands on the side, an area for some popcorn and refreshments, with the latest big screen or television for a much clearer view and detail of the movie and the like. And yes, the style and design of the old age home could be much better than what a typical movie theatre in the mall has.

Similarly, the importance of having computers may also be considered for all the residents to encourage them to communicate and connect with their families through e-mail and other social media platforms. Seeing their family’s pictures on a picnic out of town over the internet makes the distance feel nearer and time shorter than without having any of it at all.

5. Provide a comfortable, less noisy environment

While the construction or renovation process of a senior living facility is ongoing, it will be temporarily inconvenient for the residents to move or do their activities of daily living. However, being in the resident’s schedule of such activities will help improve the level of comfort without causing any delay in the renovation. It also pays to ensure that all the dust, vibration, and noise because of the work will be controlled.

6. Regular evaluation of the facility

After the renovation, the facility should have its maintenance through a routine evaluation for any signs of wear and tear and any possibility of necessary repair for at least six months to a year. Staying ahead of the problems saves time and money. It prevents the facility from looking worn out, which may create a negative impact on keeping the residents. It is important to establish a reserve fund or contingency for this purpose to maintain high-quality comfort and safety for the staff and their residents while staying in the old age homes.

7. The Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA)

Another important consideration in connection with the residents’ safety is the observance of the matrix of precautions enumerated in The Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA). The ICRA matrix was originally developed for hospital use only. However, it is now required to be utilized when renovating or constructing short or long-term senior living facilities because they both share many similar characteristics. The considerations included in the ICRA matrix are:

• The impact of interrupting important activities for patients and employees;
• Identification of the potential hazards and the necessary protection for each;
• Assessment of the internal and external activities while the construction is ongoing; and
• Assessment of locations and properly addressing the identified hazards.

Conclusion

Renovating a facility for the old is a serious process that requires full planning and coordination with the general contractor. The contractor must also be very sensitive to the resident’s needs for occupied facilities. Remember that the top priority for a senior living facility is its residents’ safety and comfort.

Looking for a reliable general contractor in California? Get in touch with the expert team of Constructive Solutions, Inc. to get top-notch renovation services for your building project.

FAQs

What are the recommended options for non-slip flooring?

A non-slip flooring for a senior living facility should have enough cushioning and grip to prevent slips. Thick carpet, cork, rubber, or vinyl are some of the recommended non-slip flooring options.

How to select the right general contractor for renovating a senior living facility?

• While hiring a general contractor for old age home renovation, select the one who specializes in renovating old age homes, assisted living communities, medical and wellness centers.
• The contractor must bear great sensitivity toward old people’s needs, have an owner-focused approach, and use advanced technology for the renovation process.
• Not to forget, the contracting firm should have licenses, insurance, and provide warranties.

Is there any financial assistance available for repairing a senior living facility?

• USDA Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants
• Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs)
• Weatherization Assistance Programs (WAPs)
• Medicare, and
• Medicaid are some of the agencies that offer subsidized or free home repairs for seniors.

Relevant Resources:

• How to keep tenants happy during building renovation
• Things to Consider Before Beginning Commercial Renovation