More than 1.4 million older adults in the United States live in senior living communities and nursing homes.
Between 2015 and 2050, the world population of people aged more than 60 will almost double, from 12% to 22%.
As the aging population increases, senior living communities increasingly are incorporating the comforts of home to meet the needs and wants of residents and prospective residents. Many feature various activities and amenities to make stays as comfortable as possible.
In Canada, 474,000 older adults live in senior living and care communities. A Canadian-based long-term care home named Glen Hill Terrace is taking the comfort of its residents seriously. The property is owned and operated by Durham Christian Homes, a nonprofit organization with four housing facilities in Ontario specializing in assisted living and skilled nursing for older adults.
A case study
Glen Hill Terrace has put resident care front and center, with an unexpected addition of heated towel racks provided by Amba Products. When planning to construct Glen Hill Terrace, stakeholders from DCH decided to install 10 towel warmers in five Jack-and-Jill-styled resident home areas. The spaces include a shower room on one side with a heated towel rack, a toilet and sink in the middle section, and a tub room outfitted with a heated towel rack.
The purpose of the units was to provide a cozy touch of spa-like luxury to the bathing rooms of the community and to help the building feel more like home instead of an institution. This idea of making a usually sterile-looking environment feel more inviting is something that other senior living developers should consider. Functional and aesthetically pleasing products can address the environmental challenges that senior living communities face while keeping residents’ humanity in mind.
High moisture areas such as bathrooms often contribute to slips and falls in senior living communities. Using products such as non-slip tiles and grab bars in conjunction with heated towel racks, which help eliminate moisture in the air, can decrease injuries.
In the case of Glen Hill Terrace, the addition of towel warmers have proved to be especially helpful for those using the walk-in style tubs at the community. They are ideal in this capacity because the warm, cozy towels keep the residents comfortable while they wait for the water to drain from the tub.
The tenants use the warmed towels to ward off the chill during cold Canadian winters. Shaunette Collins, a nurse consultant at the community, attested that the heated towel racks had a significant effect on the lives of the residents. She has found that warm towels are a valuable resource for residents living with dementia, providing soothing relief when anxious or agitated.
Looking to the future
As the need for senior living and other types of long-term care facilities continues to grow, more of those spaces could greatly benefit from the products that offer residents the comfort and coziness of home.
According to the architecture firm that supervised the project, Toronto-based OCA Architects Inc., a firm specializing in senior living complexes, more facilities are interested in including products that make those spaces feel less institutional. We hope this change can help make the transition to senior living easier for older adults and give peace of mind to their loved ones by letting them know they are in an environment that values their comfort.
Fred Salati is director of sales at Amba Products.
The opinions expressed in each McKnight’s Senior Living marketplace column are those of the author and are not necessarily those of McKnight’s Senior Living.
Have a column idea? See our submission guidelines here.
