Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 33

staff and residents. A caregiver can stand in a
safe-handling position on a dry floor while the
resident is seated in a movable shower chair
with arm rests in the wet zone. This is an improvement over standard showers that feature
an armless bench and typically face the resident in only one direction, compromising assistance and safe procedures before, during, and
following a shower. At PAM, after showering, a
resident can be dried and prepared for a safer
transfer onto dry floor. (See "Design Details" at
right for more on the resulting design.)
Despite the fact that the adjusted designs
exceeded ADA regulations, they didn't meet
New Jersey's specific accessibility guidelines
and were initially rejected. Determined to gain
acceptance, the Parker team mobilized. Hiatt
wrote a brief detailing Parker's position that
was submitted to the DCA. Next, Hiatt and
representatives from Parker and Spiezle met
with officials from the DCA Bureau of Construction. The case for bathroom modifications
was made, complete with data and research
findings. At that meeting, a design waiver was
granted, and all design variations have since

Design details
At Parker at Monroe, the size and shape of the
bathrooms accommodate patterns of actual use,
including necessary devices, as well as the safety
of residents and caregivers with the following
features:
* Access on both sides of the toilet was provided
by locating the toilets 30 inches from the wall.
* Floor space allows for 5-foot-6-inch turning.
* Improved entryways with wide sliding doors
enable staff to assist or push residents in
wheelchairs into the bathroom, close the door,
and move around both sides of the wheelchair.
* Grab bars were located for safe use by
residents during self-transfer, steadying, and
maintaining upright positioning. The two-sided

rails are carefully spaced for stand-to-sit and
sit-to-stand body mechanics.
* The unique shape of the fold-up rail accommodates stand-up and seated use. When folded down,
rails provide superior positioning for residents' use,
particularly helpful in steadying during seating and
standing. In the fold-up position, it's much easier
for residents to reach than a single horizontal back
toilet bar.
* The shower is designed for maximum safety. The
shape and use of a movable shower chair streamlines showering and resolves the safety hazards of
standing on wet surfaces. The entry and shower drain
are designed to direct water flow to the back of the
shower, away from the entry.

been incorporated at PAM and will ultimately
be introduced to all Parker facilities.
To assess the effect of these design modifications-as well as the overall effect of adopting the household model of care-PAM is conducting a research study with the LeadingAge
Center for Applied Research. While the results
of the multiyear study won't be available for

some time, initial reactions from PAM residents
and staff support the changes and confirm that
bathroom design and toilet placement really do
matter. EFA
Steve Leone, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is principal at
Spiezle Architectural Group (Trenton, N.J.). He can
be reached at sleone@spiezle.com.

Spring 2016 * EFAmagazine.com

http://www.makearteasy.com http://www.EFAmagazine.com

Environments for Aging - Spring 2015

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