Zeitgeists and development trends in long-term care facility design

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Architecture
• Healthcare Design

Background:

• Evolving concepts in long-term care necessitate adapting facility design.
• Traditional hospital-like models are increasingly misaligned with resident needs and preferences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify resident priorities for long-term care facility design.
• To understand current trends and zeitgeists influencing architectural design in long-term care.

Main Methods:

• Literature analysis.
• In-depth interviews.
• Delphi survey application.

Main Results:

• Top priorities include home-like environments, Universal Design, private sleeping areas, social spaces, and clustered rooms.
• Major zeitgeists: de-institutionalization, aging-in-place, and homelike settings over hospital models.

Conclusions:

• Long-term care facilities require a paradigm shift towards resident-centered, de-institutionalized, and homelike environments.
• Architectural design must integrate physical and psychological needs, favoring cluster living and Universal Design principles.