Here are our team’s takeaways on the Key Themes and Reveals of LeadingAge Illinois:

• Predapt!

• The Dimensions of Wellness and how the Built Environment can support them

• Senior Living in Urban Environments – worthwhile considerations

• The Arrival and Impact of For-Profit Developers

• The Fate of the 202 Program



Adaptation is too late – Predapt!
Wearable sensors are changing Senior Care. Using a wearable sensor, we can predict a fall within 3 weeks’ time with 86% accuracy by measuring walking gait. This is a huge innovation because we know that if we can avoid falls, we extend life 2.5 to 3 years, prolonging Independence, and prolonging entry into Skilled Nursing. Another example is a sensor that can detect a UTI. Another huge gain, especially for senior women, in whose population UTI’s take on symptoms of and are often mis-diagnosed as dementia or stroke. When applied creatively, the possibilities for technology extend to outside of the healthcare realm to things like autonomous vehicles or drones, which can provide independent mobility or even deliver medication.
This technology is not in the future, it’s here and affordable.

The solution? Reorient how we think about senior care challenges. Stop dealing with problems AFTER they happen. Change your approach to problems to solve at the source – PREDAPT.
(Learn more from Rebecca Costa at http://www.rebeccacosta.com)



The Dimensions of Wellness
The Dimensions of Wellness can have anywhere from 4 to 12 dimensions based on who you ask! But we all agree that wellness is more than the absence of disease. We also know that Seniors prefer to age in place – and that it becomes harder to age in place with multiple hospitalizations.

The solution? Predapt! Use Whole Person Wellness programming to support chronic disease management and reduce risk of injurious falls. This is accomplished by identifying challenges early and referring residents to the services they need prior to a devastating event – services that address Health Literacy Education, Chronic Condition Support, Maximizing function and mobility and touch on multiple dimensions of wellness like Emotional, Spiritual, Social, Physical, Intellectual and Vocational programs.

Can the built environment play a part in this effort? Yes!

At HED we use the wellness dimensions as an additional guide for senior living planning by looking for the opportunities where architecture can reinforce these dimensions. Like in exercise room planning – try to have windows in the space and orient the machines to have the user facing outward, adding a visual connection to nature that supports emotional health while supporting physical health.

For example, our takeaways from the Using the Built Environment to Support Dimensions of Wellness – especially for Residents with Dementia include:

• Lean into the influence of hospitality already present in the market by implementing hospitality design elements into care.

• Design a meal program that engages the resident’s social behavior appropriately. Some residents have a difficult time adjusting to new social behavior. A 90-minute formal dinner may not be as socially beneficial to some as a grab-n-go environment.

• Avoid glare by using sheer drapery. Horizontal louver blinds will create a striation effect that can be very disorienting for seniors.

• Provide contrast between horizontal surfaces (ex. an elderly person will not be able to discern the front edge of a light-colored chair that is placed on a light-colored rug). Use a contrasting cushion or table colors to avoid misjudging of furniture locations.

• Most seniors need to see each other to understand a conversation, so make sure to locate furniture to provide clear lines of sight between participants.

• Consider the mounting height of signage. Even though able-bodied persons may consider signage that is mounted per accessibility codes to be low, this height may already be above the line of sight for an elderly person with stooped posture.

• Signage should always be high contrast between the background and text. Consider using signage with graphics (ex. a picture of a toilet) in addition to text, for those who can no longer read.

• Consider how developments can create more energetic spaces by inviting resident's families and the community inside the development.



Senior Living in Urban Environments
We know that senior living developments in dense, urban environments are on the rise. But we took note of some important considerations of this trend, like:

• Consider the neighborhood: The importance of identifying cities with the existing appropriate density or urban infrastructure framework. By selecting a location within a neighborhood with the proper infrastructure or existing amenities, developments can reduce their own programming and amenities and allow residents to take advantage of the community’s activities.

• Consider the future: Municipalities are looking for developments with resilient designs that are “futureproofed.” If the development can be easily converted into apartments, hospitality, or event retail functions, its usability, and desirability, is greatly enhanced.

For more insights on how to design for the future resident, we recommended reading: “The Longevity Economy” by Joseph F. Coughlin, the Founder and Director of the MIT AgeLab.



The Arrival and Impact of For-Profit Developers
One of our biggest takeaways from this conference is the arrival and impact of For-Profit Developers in New Property Development. According to NIC Map Data Sciences, in Q4 of 2018 there were about 12 new property developments by Not-For-Profit agencies—compared to For-Profits, which had over 200. It’s a little early to know how this might change the landscape of Senior Housing and Care, but the sheer amount of developments is stunning.



The Fate of the HUD 202 Program
Linda Couch, Vice President of Housing Policy. Congressional Affairs confirmed that for the first time in several years’ money was budgeted for the HUD 202 program. The NOFA (Notice of Funding Availability) was released on April 4. While the allotment isn’t near what was originally requested with an original funding request of $600M for 4,300 new units, it’s important to remember that the debt program has been revised and this revision will be a huge improvement for the program. (Learn more from: https://www.leadingage.org/legislation/hud-announces-new-sec-202-housing-funds)

On 3/23/2019 the Palo Alto “Paly” High School celebrated the opening of its renovated library – marking the fourth project completed with HED as part of its overarching, 10-year master plan.

Built in the 1960s, the former library was disjointed, dark, and inefficient. Faculty offices and storage spaces crowded the building’s perimeter, leaving an echoing, two-story column in the building’s center to house the library.

Working closely with Paly staff and leadership, HED identified key goals for the renovation: a classic feel with modern finishes. Together, they envisioned a space that would support a wide variety of work styles and activities that featured updated technology, natural light, and a more functional, open layout with clear sightlines and improved circulation patterns.

Still contained within its original footprint, the modernized 37,500 square foot building now houses four distinct program areas: the library, an adjacent gallery, college and career counseling, and guidance services. Wood paneling and modern furnishings were introduced to add warmth and softness, unifying the interior and contributing to the perception of the new library as a cohesive space. A new mezzanine level with a dramatic spiral staircase now divides the space into upper and lower levels and displays the library’s old and rare books collections, previously in storage. Large windows and skylights were added to fill the interior with natural light, and acoustical panels quiet the previously loud, echoing space. Storage has been relocated, and in its place are silent study rooms, project rooms for individual and group work, and cozy, cushioned alcove reading nooks support a variety of work modes and styles.

“The new Paly library is proof that a renovation can be as transformative as new construction,” says HED K12 Leader Erwin Lee, “It’s not just about taking what’s there and making it larger or better—the right renovation can truly create something new.”

HED Associate Principal and Healthcare Studio Leader Sharon Woodworth, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, EDAC, ACHA has been appointed to serve a three-year term, from 2019 through 2021, as a Member of the American College of Healthcare Architects (ACHA) Board of Regents.

The ACHA was created in 1999 to offer board certification to licensed health care architects through an independent process involving a portfolio review, an assessment by peer architects, and a rigorous examination. It is the first and only design specialty so recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Sharon joined the HED team in 2018 with over eleven million square feet of healthcare facility planning and design experience, spanning a wide range of operational and continuum-of-care issues from neonatology to senior living, and diverse cultural perspectives from the United Kingdom to Asia.

As one-of-ten ACHA Board Regents, Ms. Woodworth brings experience from previous board positions and a passionate belief that all healthcare architects should be board-certified. As a practicing healthcare architect, her designs recognize the value of research-based initiatives from EDAC and LEED Certification to Pebble Partnerships and Magnet Recognition; as an Assistant Professor at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF), her graduate-level course on healthcare environments enables future healthcare executives to better understand the interplay between medicine and architecture. Through her four careers, Ms. Woodworth has leveraged perspectives from nursing, journalism, and teaching to redefine healthcare environments from merely functional rooms to inspiring spaces infused with natural light, and in so doing, sustaining health for us all.

To learn more about the ACHA, and the importance of this organization to the furthering of healthcare design, please visit their website at www.healtharchitects.org.

On 3/15/2019 the Illinois Veterans’ Home Project will hold it’s topping off ceremony – representing the culmination of decades of effort by the State of Illinois and Designer HED.

Located on an urban site on Chicago’s northwest side just 13 miles from downtown, the Illinois Veterans’ Home project will be the very first such facility to be built within the city of Chicago. It features non-age-restricted, licensed skilled care programming and features a strategic adjacency to the Read Mental Health Center.

As the first newly constructed veterans’ home in Illinois in over 20 years, the Illinois Veterans’ Home is also the first such facility in the state to incorporate the federal Community Living Center (CLC) guidelines, meaning it resembles “home” as much as possible while providing skilled nursing and medical care.

“This project embodies a paradigm shift in how the State of Illinois approaches veteran care,” says HED Principal and Studio Leader Susan King, “Using the CLC guidelines, which was mandated by the Federal Veterans Administration for all newly constructed projects in 2011, we’ve created a facility that incorporates small house design at a large scale.”

King continues, “The dining program utilizes a hybrid approach with central and residential format kitchens in each household to serve the population appropriately. Medical features and spaces such as nursing stations were approached through a hospitality lens, with finishes that recall a household environment.”

Expected to be completed in Winter of 2020, this facility will soon provide a home for 200 veterans.

HED is pleased to announce its merger with Integrated Design Group, also known as ID, an architecture, engineering, and planning firm with a strong reputation for data center design.

According to Peter Devereaux, FAIA, Chairman of HED, this is a natural step for the firm. “We are committed to strategic growth that increases the firm’s ability to create positive impacts for our clients and their stakeholders,” he says. “Bringing the ID team into the HED family is a step on our journey toward expanding our expertise and enabling a greater impact for our clients. It also allows us to reach new audiences -- both in this new market sector for HED and in all the sectors we serve in the regions surrounding Boston and Dallas.”

HED leadership recognizes that this is an important, fast-growing sector throughout the U.S. and beyond and see it as an opportunity. As Devereaux points out, “Many of our clients, in healthcare, higher education, and corporate work, for example, are seeking this intelligence and specialized expertise. This is an example of our ability to bring additional resources and insight to the table for our clients.”

The ID leadership and staff, working in two offices in Boston and Dallas, join the HED team working in Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Sacramento offices. The team is now 420 strong.

Toni Asfour, Managing Principal of the Boston office, notes that the data center sector is experiencing tremendous growth and continues to evolve. “Data storage, transmission, and security are supporting almost every aspect of contemporary life. Our leadership in this realm is long and deep; we bring market intelligence to all scales of this work. Our clients include tech and retail corporations, financial institutions, health and pharma, educational institutions, as well as multi-tenant, cloud, and hyperscale data center providers.”

HED is pleased to announce the completion of the Robert H. and Judy Dow Alexander Cancer Center at the St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor's hospital campus. The expanded 66,000 sf $24 million renovation creates new and expanded space for St. Joe's nationally-renowned cancer research while accommodating the facility's significant patient population expansion of recent years. As the only National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) in Southeast Michigan, St. Joe's had a growing need to house expanded research and education for this field. The design's main floor hosts this important research work alongside a multi-disciplinary team of clinical psychologists, social workers, chaplains, geneticists and nutritionists. This space, designed to increase collaboration and communication among a comprehensive suite of providers, also features an education center offering community outreach and educational programming.

Home to 38 exam rooms, the expanded facility offers a separate entrance and exit for patients, providing a concierge-like oncology-care experience. Another key feature is its state-of-the-art new infusion center designed to host patients and their families in comfort with 22 private bays providing room for guests amidst a large amount of natural light which overlooks a healing garden.

"The interior approach in this facility is a new one for cancer care - utilizing fewer walls for a more open and flexible layout. The patient experience is made seamless with improved circulation. Unlike other hospitals and clinics, its organization is open rather than maze-like, preventing disorientation and reducing the feeling of a "clinical" experience for patients," said David Jaeger, HED's Healthcare Design Studio Leader.

HED and Walsh Construction have finalized the $80 million design-build renovation of Palos Health South Campus in Orland Park, IL. The makeover was a five-year process consisting in adding modern technologies, incorporating a new, 83,000 square-foot Ambulatory Care Center, renovating 40,000 square feet of space in an existing building and constructing a new 316-car parking deck.

The master plan highlighted the need to unify the campus by organizing the clinics according to an academic health center model, which would enable better collaboration. The new building’s design preserves visual consistency, while the interiors feature biophilic elements such as wood and stone.

Harley Ellis Devereaux (HED), Architect of Record, and Boston-based The S/L/A/M Collaborative (SLAM), Design Architect, have just unveiled the design of the University of Michigan’s new Central Campus Classroom Building along with its connected renovation of the University’s historic Ruthven Museums Building. Some key features and opportunities posed by this high-profile project include:

A total of 1,400 classroom seats in a variety of learning spaces, including a 550-seat auditorium, a 200- seat classroom “in the round” and other team-based learning rooms;

Utilization by more than 10,000 students per day during the University’s school year;

Adaptive reuse of the historic 1928 Albert-Kahn designed museum building into a new administrative center for the University;

Pursuing LEED Silver Certification for sustainable design;

Scheduled for construction completion and opening in Fall 2021.

The end result of a thoughtful, two-year design process will help propel U-M into its third century as a leader in education here in the U.S.