The mission of the AIA Design for Aging (DFA) Knowledge Community is to foster design innovation and disseminate knowledge necessary to enhance the built environment and quality of life for an aging society. This includes relevant research on characteristics, planning and costs associated with innovative design for aging. In addition, DFA provides outcome data on the value of these design solutions and environments.
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Strategies for Safer Senior Living CommunitiesThis resource includes strategies for dining facilities, amenity spaces, and individual units. Download >
Hosted by the Design for Aging Knowledge Community on May 21, 2024.
“We shape our buildings; thereafter, they shape us.” W.C.
In fact, physical environments are one of the most obvious and enduring reflections of our collective values and priorities that continuously influence the experiences and behaviors of all who encounter and engage with them. This is especially important to consider in in senior, health, and care settings. While the provision of health care might be a medical issue, ensuring access to health care environments is a design issue.
Join Addie Abushousheh, gerontologist and research associate at The Center of Health for a discussion on the use of an evidence-based design (EBD) process that provides a foundation for outcome-oriented decision-making. Designers will benefit from learning to treat the design of the built environment as a modifiable risk factor and leverage the evidence-based design process for planning and designing senior, health, and care communities to improve outcomes for all patients, especially for aging populations and those living with dementia who are disproportionally negatively affected by unsupportive environments.
Addie Abushousheh
Dr. Abushousheh is an organizational and environmental gerontologist and research associate for The Center for Health Design. With combined expertise in architecture, organizational development, gerontology and research, Addie advances comprehensive and translational quality assessment and performance improvement agendas for aging and dementia throughout the continuum of care. Addie is a tri-chair for FGI’s Residential Design Guidelines, advisor to the AIA Design for Aging Knowledge Community and Abacus Institute, adjunct faculty at Kent State University, a board member for IDEAS Institute and a committee member for the Moving Forward Nursing Home Quality Coalition.