FUNCTIONAL INTERIORS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS 4(2+2)

Lesson 29 : Functional Interior Options – Congregate and Group Living

Congregate Living

Congregate housing are usually apartment-style housing for people who want “hospitality” services, such as one or more meals a day or light housekeeping services. There may also be arranged social activities. This does not generally include personal care or health care although there is increasing interest in offering a set of services to residents, often by an outside health care or social service agency. It is usually up to the congregate housing resident to independently arrange for home health or other social services.

Congregate housing is an appealing option particularly for those who want to share the cost of living expenses, to share chores, or for companionship. Shared housing is an arrangement where two or more unrelated older adults share a home or apartment

Congregate housing, an emerging concept of assisted group living is intended to serve the needs of frail, but not ill elderly who require a supportive environment in order to cope with the demands of daily living. Its major goal is to maintain independence is a residential setting. Planning for a building for congregate living has three basic components.

1. Planning and design features
2. Space programming
3. Space relationships

The planning and design features provide the framework for relating location, form and design to the physical, social and psychological needs of the residents. The space programming lists all the spaces and tabulates the percentage of total area attributable to specific spaces.

The philosophy of designing for congregate living is to design and operate the services as a selective intervention to encourage independence and at the sometime offer physical and social supports as needed but not before they are needed.

Selection of an appropriate location for the congregate housing is very important. The general criteria that apply to the congregate having can also be applied to housing for the elderly. However, in congregate housing emphasis is placed on easy access to all services. The first consideration is to choose a site where the residents can lathe part is all activities and considering the safety features. The third factor is the availability of emergency care facilities.