Designing skilled nursing for today + tomorrow
Each client and skilled nursing facility has their own set of program requirements. Feeding into those requirements are a variety of issues which affect the environmental design including financial sustainability, target market, operational efficiencies, competition and care quality. Additionally, the design of skilled nursing needs to consider whether the residents will require long-term nursing care or will be short-term Medicare rehabilitation residents.
Today, designers of skilled nursing facilities are focused on resident oriented care, regardless of short- or long-term stays. EUA’s competent and passionate designers fully understand that they are creating a “home” for the residents, not simply an institutional setting for resident rehabilitation. In addition, particularly in short-term skilled nursing, our designers understand that residents are focused on recovery and the desire to return to their own homes. The households for rehab skilled nursing, while residential in aesthetic, have larger, more comfortable private resident rooms that are technologically well equipped, open household kitchens where snacks or beverages can be obtained at any time and small enclave social spaces that are ideal for family visitations and intimate conversations. Additionally, the rehabilitation gym has a more prominent fitness look as opposed to an old-fashioned PT/OT institutional aesthetic. The equipment in the gym has become more varied, specialized and effective, and the ability to not only have varied equipment but also make certain that the space can accommodate easy change of equipment is critical.
