Environments for Aging - Summer 2020 - 7

EDITORIAL

Thinking ahead
We've all been responding quickly and thoughtfully to the
challenges presented by COVID-19, and hopefully it's just the
beginning By Jennifer Kovacs Silvis
If there's any silver lining to the COVID-19 pandemic, it's the
speed with which we've all developed innovative solutions to
try to return to some form of normal. Whether it's restaurants
shifting focus to takeout and delivery or zoos and museums
reopening with reservation-based models or neighborhood
driveway happy hours, everyone is doing their best to make
this work.
And senior living is no exception to that. With lockdowns
enforced rapidly to reduce the risk to residents, that meant
social interactions-particularly valuable visits with friends
and family-were shut down, too. But as quickly as we saw
the orders put in place, we also saw solutions emerge. Take
Lantern of Chagrin Valley Senior Care Center in Ohio, which
created a "hug booth" with thick, clear plastic separating residents from family
members and arm holes cut in to allow hugs (with shoulder-length gloves on each
person). Aegis Living in Bellevue, Wash., similarly created outdoor living rooms, a cozy
seating area for residents and guests but with plexiglass walls separating them.
While we all hope these solutions are temporary, they're also imperative. The social
isolation that all of us are feeling is only exacerbated for seniors who may be largely
restricted to their units, as communities begin carefully reopening dining services and
other social programs. It was an important topic explored during the recent EFA Virtual
Conference held June 1-2-our own response to the environment we're working in
today. When the EFA Expo & Conference scheduled for April had to be canceled, we
decided not to miss the opportunity to bring this industry together, albeit virtually, and to
offer a selection of the educational content we already had lined up.
Part of the event included a keynote panel discussion on the future of senior living
design in a post-pandemic world (for a recap of that discussion, as well as additional
highlights from the conference, see page 18). One of the major issues covered
was how old, institutional models for skilled nursing played a role in the spread of
COVID-19, while smaller, household-based communities have fared much better.
While there's long been an argument for enhanced resident dignity when we
talk about private rooms and baths and smaller neighborhoods to create a truly
residential feel, the finances of a shift away from multibed, institutional environments
don't make it an easy transition. But these past few months may now bring valuable
data showing that these approaches also help control the spread of infection thanks
to smaller clusters of residents, the ability to isolate in place, and dedicated staff to
each household.
This could be what inspires greater change-whether that's in the form of
investment or regulatory changes, or both-that could spur a new era of skilled
nursing. Now that would be a silver lining. EFA

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Lori Alford
Chief Operating Officer
Avanti Senior Living
CC Andrews
President and Chief Strategist
Quantum Age Collaborative
David Banta
Associate
Wiencek + Associates Architects + Planners
Laura Busalacchi
Senior Director of Interior Services
Brookdale Senior Living
Vassar Byrd
Chief Executive Officer
Rose Villa Senior Living
Margaret Calkins
Board Chair
Ideas Institute
Daniel J. Cinelli
Managing Principal and Board Director
Perkins Eastman
Michelle Clark
Vice President of Development
Domus Development
Andy Coelho
Senior Vice President of Facilities, Design,
and Development
Sunrise Senior Living
Alexis Denton
Associate Principal
Perkins Eastman
Mitch Elliott
Senior Partner
RDG Planning & Design
Lorraine Hiatt
Environmental Gerontologist
Planning, Research and Design Consultation
Steve Lindsey
Chief Executive Officer
Garden Spot Communities
Dean Maddalena
Founder and President
StudioSix5
Eric McRoberts
Partner
RLPS Architects
Robert C. Pfauth
Director of Senior Living Planning
Erdman
Jane Rohde
Principal
JSR Associates Inc.
Jill Schroeder
Senior Planner/Senior Interior Designer
Pope Architects
Rob Simonetti
Senior Associate and Design Director
SWBR

Summer
Spring 2019
2020 * EFAmagazine.com

7
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Environments for Aging - Summer 2020

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