The following document contains a few drafts of intersections which led to innovations/layout choices. The green circle represents something we saw/was told at Fair Winds Manor the blue circle represents something we saw/were told at Charles Morris. The purple circle represents ideas we’ve developed from the comparison of these two observations, which we plan to include in our layout.
Osher Interview
Last Friday our group met with some Osher participants at their home. Although the participants did partake in our kits, we learned more from what they said verbally. Our participants were both 78 years old, a couple, and married for eight years. One was a social worker and the other was a computer engineer.
Some insights we took away were:
- The couple would like to live somewhere where they don’t have to move. They’re looking for a community where they can move up or down (in regards to the care needs) without having to switch facilities.
- Shirley spoke of the need for making residents more humanized in staff members eyes. She shared a story with us about her mother, who had been in a home and was referred to as “the woman in room 234”. Shirley said that staff need to recognize that their residents have a past life and they should talk about it with them to keep their memory going.
- Shirley also pointed out that women and men think differently about retirement. She claims that women expect the challenges of aging, while men think and plan less about it.
- Shirley also realized a gender difference in activities and amenities in homes. She stated that more activities and amenities need to be available for men. One idea she mentioned was installing pool tables.
- Both Shirley and her husband believed that access to technology in homes was a top priority. They believe that each room should have a Wi-Fi connection, that Skype centers should exist for residents, and that common computer clusters should be available.
- In regards to why community and amenities are so important, Shirley shared a story about a woman she met while volunteering in a home. The woman was reserving a table and seven chairs for lunch, although lunch was two hours away. Shirley made the connection that for this woman, this table and sitting with her friends, was the woman’s family and her only possession after giving up her home and life to enter the facility.
- Shirley also shared a story about when her mother died and she went to retrieve her possessions. Her mother’s possessions were in the basement and no longer in the room (even though it had only been hours since her death). Shirley used this an example of the lack of humanity in homes.
- Finally, Shirley and her husband made a few other suggestions: including a library with large print and audio books. She also suggested putting names on the door’s of residents.
Our group has started the designing layouts, brainstormed technological innovations, and determined how categories within the layout relate to our themes of dignity, health, and community.
Design and Policy 