Lecture Notes: Building New Assisted Living Construction

Introduction

• Speaker: Brett Schott-Cavis, Platinum Assisted Living Mentoring
• Topic: Rethinking and redesigning new construction for assisted living facilities

Issues with Traditional Assisted Living Construction

• Typical designs resemble hospitals or hotels
• Residential homes are often impractical for accessibility
• Aim for design resembling boutique hotels or mansions

Proposed Solution: Neighborhood of Mansions

• Creating a neighborhood with multiple mansion-style buildings
  • Four mansions, each 10,000 square feet
  • 16-bed licensed homes
• Site plan
  • 7.6 acres with a private street, unique building designs
  • 50 feet of separation between buildings
  • U-shaped driveways, separate staff parking areas
• Focused on a homely and unique neighborhood appearance

Exterior Design Solutions

• Avoid big box or small box facility look
• Separate memory care and assisted living homes distinctly
• Emphasize space and individual home identity
• Use of different architectural elements (roofs, textures, colors)

Interior Design Solutions

• Focus on eliminating hospital feel
• Use of vaulted ceilings and grand foyers
• Avoid nurse's stations at the entrance
• Large glass walls for natural light and open atmosphere
• Ensure homely features (open kitchens, visible chefs)

Common Area & Hallway Innovations

• Create inviting and non-intimidating hallways
• "Garden room" and "library room" as transition spaces
• Large glass windows providing views of gardens and natural scenery

Bedroom and Bathroom Design

• Custom-designed bedrooms with accent walls
• Encourage furniture placement for maximum comfort
• Use of electric fireplaces for ambiance
• Spacious, ADA-compliant bathrooms
  • Floating vanities, additional storage solutions

Addressing Practical Issues

• Decentralized laundry rooms to serve limited residents
• Custom architecture tailored to avoid traditional facility pitfalls
  • Boutique hotel style approach

Conclusion

• Addressing and solving common operational problems with innovative design
• Utilizing extensive experience and resources for custom solutions
• Commitment to non-cookie cutter, unique assisted living environments