Environments for Aging - Summer 2019 - 19

example, clean air and treating
blood pressure were actually
on the low end, flu vaccinations
and not drinking alcohol were
mid-range, and the quality and
number of close relationships
as well as social integration
topped the scales. And it's that
latter point that Pinker stressed:
Weaker bonds that round out
our social integration, such as
walking the dog and talking
to neighbors or playing cards
with a regular group, are each
critical components of our social
lives. So if many of those casual
relationships exist online today,
what does that mean for our
longevity?
Pinker said research shows
it's not great. In-person inter-

actions, specifically, help
reduce stress, improve blood
pressure, and so on. From a
hug to a high-five, even the
smallest gestures of contact
produce dopamine in our
brains that simply makes
us happy. "We feel good.
All of this passes under our
conscious radar," she said.
And evidence suggests that
hitting the "like" button on
Facebook just isn't the same.
But, still, technology may
play a role in combating
isolation in the future. Pinker
said some solutions exist-for
example, social robots show
promise. However, she's
focused on ways that we as a
society, as well as this design

I N S P I R I N G

BEFORE THIS YEAR'S EFA Expo
wrapped up, Jennifer Kovacs
Silvis, editor-in-chief of Environments for Aging, invited the
recipients of the magazine's
new Design Champions awards
to the main stage for a Q+A on
where the industry is now and
where we need to go next. The
closing keynote session included
Renee Anderson, president
and CEO of Saint John's on the
Lake; Anna Lory, job captain at
Pope Architects; Scott Weaver,
director of campus services at
Garden Spot Village; Melissa

industry, can better encourage
in-person social interactions.
For example, she said, environments should be mindful of hearing loss and how
sound is transmitted, reducing
ambient noise so that seniors
can better hear and communicate with one another. And
when it comes to senior living,
specifically, Pinker said it's
critical to ask residents what
types of spaces they'd like to
have available, as well. "What
do they need? What do they
want? It's very important to
ask them."
Pinker closed with a
photo of a meeting area in
Villagrande Strisaili, where
well-worn couches were posi-

M I N D S

Pritchard, senior vice president
at SFCS Architects; and Jill
Wilson, president and CEO of
Otterbein Senior Life.
While all discussed their
passion to transform senior living through innovation, they're
each working in different ways
to elevate the industry. For
example, Anderson said Saint
John's on the Lake is building
a new tower on its campus
that has a goal of reinventing
skilled nursing by eliminating institutional elements like
double-loaded corridors and

incorporating private resident
rooms with full bathrooms.
At Otterbein, Wilson said
the organization is developing Union Village, a master
planned community focused
on the principles of walkability,
connectivity, and mixed-use
amenities, with senior living
anchoring the town center.
And at Garden Spot Village,
Weaver has been empowered
to rethink outdoor areas to
create a range of spaces that
support myriad moods and
emotional needs.

tioned in a nondescript
outdoor courtyard, a
place where residents
frequently gather
despite its simplicity.
She then offered a final
piece of advice: A third
place doesn't have to be
new or expensive-"but
it does have to be populated." In an age where
we're all isolated between
work and personal lives
that largely exist via
technology, she argued
that it's time to recognize
the tangible benefits of
face-to-face interaction
and start building our own
villages.-Jennifer Kovacs
Silvis, editor-in-chief
EXPO &
CONFERENCE

REVIEW

SFCS Architects' Pritchard
said she's noticed a growing recognition within the
industry of different space
needs for residents and how
environmental changes can
yield positive effects. For
example, she said, the use of
circadian lighting in interiors
can decrease nighttime falls
and aggressive behavior in
residents.
While the group noted the
need for more post-occupancy data to help drive design
solutions going forward,
Lory added that informationgathering can be very organic,
coming from walk-throughs,
conversations with staff and
residents, and observations.
As for the future, one issue
that has this group's attention
is affordable models. "There's
an energy that's going to bring
us wonderful solutions to affordable senior living housing,"
Wilson said.-Anne DiNardo,
executive editor

Summer 2019 * EFAmagazine.com

19
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Environments for Aging - Summer 2019

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