By Healthcare Facilities Today

Due to an aging population and the influence of the Affordable Care Act, acute care facilities have to accommodate elder patients in their design decisions, according to an article in Long-term Living.

In a Q&A with architecture and engineering firm Progressive AE’s Laurie Placinski and Lon Morrisson, the article highlights some of the design considerations acute-care facilities should keep in mind when thinking about their senior patients. For example, older patients are likely to have visitors who are going to stay longer than they might for a younger patient. The facility needs to anticipate that and provide amenities for the visitors as well as the patient. Older patients tend to have a harder time walking long distances, so providing resting spots in long corridors helps encourage them to walk around. Being able to see amenities, such as the bathroom, helps empower older patients to stay more self-sufficient.

Designing with an older population in mind doesn't stop at patient considerations. The staff in acute-care facilities will have additional needs as well. "This can be an emotional unit to work on, so giving staff a space where they can not only form relationships with patients but also have an off-space to relax and find respite is important," says Placinski in the article.  As patient volume increases while caregiver numbers decrease, it will be increasingly important to ensure the remaining caregivers don't burn out, Morrison says in the article.

Complying with the Affordable Care Act will necessarily lead to greater collaboration between acute-care hospitals and long-term facilities, according to the article.

Placinski and Morrisson will present on this topic at a session during the Environments for Aging Conference, April 6–9, 2013, in New Orleans.

Read the article.