Multi-media research: TOPIC C: Retirement Home Visit

Entrance with a slightly sloped pathway to the door. The door is actually wider than a conventional door.

Yesterday our class went to Sunrise Retirement Home and we got a tour of the house. We've never been in a retirement home so we didn't know what to expect. The building looked nice and cozy. The veranda at the front was a clever idea. We waited there before our tour began and noticed the vast amount of natural light shining in.

Indoor veranda with lots of natural lighting.

The reception desk was a hub for various spaces and connected the bistro, reception desk, tv room and stairs. We noticed that a lot of the seniors spent a lot of time in the bistor and looked like they were enjoyed eating and conversing with each other. The reception desk was smaller than we thought would be, nevertheless it was in a central location where it was visible and inviting to everyone.

The bistro had a dining area and a kitchenette that a lot of people like to spend time in and could fit about 80 people, as our guide said. Residents would ask workers if something was out, like butter. During the day muffins and cookies are prepared. They could also prepare their tea and coffee at the station/kitchenette. As you can see in the photo below, the dining area was set pretty deep. It didn't seem like it was wheel-chair friendly, just because the path in the middle looks too narrow and when people are sitting in the chairs, the path becomes even more tinier.

Bistro area: where residents like to eat and socialize

The tv room/lounge was occupied by a few people who were watching tv, or (what looked liked) waiting for visitors. There were a few chairs and sofas in front of the television and often there would be another row of seats behind the first row of seats. There were t.v. rooms on all floors and the most spacious one was on the 4th floor, which was the most wheel-chair friendly floor.

Common area with TV on all floors.

The stairs was also a prominent feature on the first floor. However, it seemed like a decorative element because we would notice that not many residents used those stairs. There were another set of emergency stairs that we climbed up when we visited each floor. There were also elevators in the lobby behind the reception area. We think that most residents use the elevator as a means of going up and down the floors, especially if they use canes, wheelchairs or walkers.

On the second floor we saw the nursing station and wellness centre that didn't look that big. This is probably because this is a retirement home and not home that needs heavy assistance. In our plans we are told not to put in a nursing station, however we thought we would make note of it since it is a nice concept having one.

The nursing station.

We also met Taylor Swift's grandma! Just kidding! The plates you see here are to label rooms. The font is fairly big and as you can see on some of the plates, there is brail. Some of the plates that had room numbers also had brail on it. This is an excellent approach for those who are visually impaired. Perhaps in our retirement home we can include audio signals or buttons.

We saw a couple animals in the home. One of them was a cat and the other was a bird. Poor bird! I actually heard that animals are good for the ederly. My grandparents had a cat and they loved her company. Plus, cats can't bicker back so they would be a great companion! The bird on the first floor was adorable. I wanted to take it home.

Every floor had a lounge area with a different theme.

We got a chance to visit the different suites and check out the dimensions of the rooms, millwork, furniture and appliances, such as the counter, cupboard, fridge, and more. The kitchenette was across from the bathroom in this case, and the bedroom was located in the back. In some cases the bedroom was located by the entrance, the bathroom would be in the middle and the family room was located at the back. You can have suites for singles, couples and couples who want seperate rooms.

The kitchenette in the studio apartment.

The bathroom you see in the picture is wheel chair accessible one. There are no borders to hop over, nor doors to open. There is also a pull chord in the washroom in case there is an accident and the patron needs help. Depending on the level of care you need, you can also get assistance from a staff when taking a shower.

Wheelchair accessible shower.

One of the most interesting things I saw at the retirement home was the momentos displayed in the hallways of a workshop. Apparently, this display reminded seniors of the past and the good old days. As our guide mentions, their days as parents and having a family was a peak period in their life which they like to be reminded of. The fact that they used to be busy repairing things around the house and being handy was a way of being seen as a useful and active figure. The idea of having treasures lying around the retirement home sounds great. The question is now, what type of memorabilia do we want to put in our retirement home?

Woodwork station to remind residents of the pleasant memories.

Therefore, throughout this visit we have learned a lot about the settings of a retirement home. We learned about the people who live in it, the places they like to spend their time, the types of room there are, where they live, how they are cared for, what kind of needs they have, what kind of decoration they like, and what type of activities they do. All of these factors have to be taken into consideration when building a space. It is important to know the needs of the people who will be using the space. Not only must we consider the visuals of a space, which most people thing design is all about, but we have to have a deeper knowledge of the social, physical and environmental impacts we have as designers.

All photos taken by Vanessa Vilic-Evangelista

Here are some notes we took on our visit: