lightbulbs going on

My conversation with Linda today sparked some new ideas about defining my research topic. I think my research question needs to change.

"How can design support Culture Change in Memory Support environments?"

I know that I will need to define Culture Change as well as Memory Support as being a part of the larger senior care community.

My hypothesis will change too.

"Residents in Memory Support environments can benefit from the principles of Culture Change, despite their cognitive challenges."

I have a lot of work to do tonight to get this presentation ready in 2 days!

community contacts

I had a great conversation over lunch today with Linda Gabel of NBBJ (thanks, Liz) about research directions and her thoughts on senior care. One of her concerns in the healthcare market is the issue of bariatrics as an underserved and underresearched population.

Some of the questions that came out of that discussion are:
How are blended units working with Alzheimers/Parkinsons/mental health issues?
What is comforting or means home to residents vs. family members? (facilities are really marketing to families)
How are the concepts of culture change going to apply to dementia care residents?

She had great contacts for me too, such as Jane Rhoady and Betsey Brawley, Donna Mullins, and Lisa Cini of Mosaic. I will definitely be following up with these people as I go.

expressions of love

Nursing Home
by Lillian Morrison

My mother is all bones
and eyes.
She doesn't notice
her clothes anymore
who had loved beads and bright colors
or glance at the racketing dayroom TV
who had watched her "stories" every day.
"These are my company."
Just people she wants
to greet and joke with,
to cry a little.
She wants them to smile
and to love her.
She asks for her father and mother.
I touch the baby skin,
the meaningful face
and look in the eyes that say
"I'm still fighting
in this narrow place."
and I hug
the fragile bones.

more hmmmmmm

"Old age is not the source of our problems; it is where we will find the answers we need. Indeed, it has been the source of all our answers from the moment we first learned to grow old."

- Dr. Bill Thomas, founder of the Eden Alternative

a little rework is in order

I'm still concerned that my research question "How can design best support the evolving senior care market?" is the weak spot in my presentation. And since it is the cornerstone of everything I do from here, that is a little disconcerting.

After some encouragement from my fellow students and a little tweaking, I am feeling better about it. But the main response I got when we were going over our presentations for next week was that the contextual rationale for a senior care overhaul is where my strength is. So I may want to move that to the front and really emphasize it, get people involved and caring about my topic right up front. So I will spend tonight moving some things around and seeing where this goes.

But my question may go something like "How can design best support skilled nursing care in the senior living environment?"

things that make you go "hmmmm"

"We would never purposely design a nursing home system like we have if we imagine ourselves in its care." - Steve Shields

changing my key words

Old key words:
senior living
medical model
culture change
person-centered care
Greenhouse model
Household model
Eden Alternative

New key words:
health care
senior living
nursing homes/skilled nursing
evidence-based design
culture change
person-centered care
post-occupancy evaluations