Creative Outdoor Spaces Benefit Residents, Staff, Family at Senior Facilities

Is it time to upgrade the outdoor area at your senior facility? Retirement communities, adult daycares, nursing, and assisted living facilities typically don’t emphasize outdoor design beyond the entryway. However, your green spaces offer a lot of potential for residents, as well as their families and your staff. An inviting and functional creative outdoor space is a sought-after feature by those seeking eldercare services, especially in the COVID-19 era.

Creative Outdoor Spaces  with Pergolas for Shade & Shelter Offer Many Benefits

 Outdoor covered seating areas with the versatile, functional shelter of a commercial aluminum pergola can:

Enhance the physical and emotional well-being of residents 

Access to beautiful & creative outdoor spaces gives residents a sense of freedom, combating feelings of confinement and isolation that can lead to fatigue and depression. Vitamin D synthesis from sunlight exposure promotes hormone balance and improved sleep patterns, safeguarding health, and supporting more stable moods. The sensory stimulation of the outdoors also upholds a homier, non-institutional feel. Beneath the comfort of a commercial pergola, engaged in outdoor activities, socialization opportunities expand, helping residents and their families form support networks. 

Improve family morale

A beautiful, comfortable outdoor space offers visitors an enjoyable outdoor setting for meeting a loved one, or a comforting place to unwind when attending to an ailing family member.

Foster a positive work environment

Exposure to nature supports a more pleasant, positive work environment. It offers employees many of the same benefits as residents, such as a relaxing spot to enjoy a meal and a place to take a peaceful stroll while engaging socially with residents. This upbeat setting enhances productivity, supporting improved resident care.

Turn unused outdoor space into a valuable asset

Converting your neglected greenspaces offers usable, functional square footage, helping remedy feelings of crowding in senior care facilities with new real estate for guests to explore and enjoy. Paired with strategically positioned mirrored windows or webcam monitoring, residents can enjoy the outdoors without burdening staff, helping them regain a sense of independence.

Provide a COVID safe gathering space

Properly designed, outdoor gathering spaces offer the best option for COVID-safe interaction, providing ample personal space and allowing for the free flow of fresh air crucial to reducing virus concentrations in the air. Maximizing the use of these spaces at this time offers guests a sense of control, alleviating their fears, and providing a safe place to interact with others, helping residents maintain emotional stability.

Tips for Adding a Covered Patio to Your Senior Care Facility

A well-executed outdoor space makes all the difference. To reap the maximum return on investment of a pergola-covered creative outdoor seating space, consider enlisting the help of a professional landscape architect who can help you address these essential aspects of your design:

Inviting entryways and exits

Entryways and exits throughout your outdoor facilities should be clearly marked, featuring distinctive landmarks at critical junctures seniors can easily identify. Automatic doors are a plus, offering convenient access. A width of 6 feet, at a minimum, is recommended to accommodate couples and wheelchairs.

Clearly marked, accessible pathways 

Ensure pathways and flooring are smooth, continuous, level, and slip and trip resistant to prevent slip and falls. Railings should be easily accessible, providing safety and support when needed. If gates/enclosures are a must, camouflaging them with greenery can prevent feelings of containment while ensuring guests are secure.

Visually stimulating plants and structures

Colorful, non-toxic plants and trees, including vibrant flowers, herbs, and veggies, are easy to identify, aiding senior orientation and independence. Choosing native, regional plants reduces maintenance and promotes wildlife. Fragrant foliage is a plus, offering sensory stimulation.

Access to restrooms and refreshments

Facilities located too far away from greenspaces can deter residents.

Multipurpose lighting

Multifunctional lighting is a must for safety and security, ensuring a clear view of outdoor spaces and extending the hours your greenspaces can be used.

Flexible design

Your commercial pergola-covered patios should be varied and flexible, providing opportunities for solitude and activity. Holding more social activities front and center boosts participation. Furniture should be versatile and able to manage the demands of varying periods of activity and rest. Combining built-in benches with sofa-sectionals and moveable/foldable chairs offers added versatility. Avoid dark-colored and metal furnishings to prevent burns, as well as slatted furniture, which is often unstable.

Versatile shelter

Because seniors are particularly temperature-sensitive, shelter and shade are crucial aspects of any outdoor patio design for seniors, encouraging even those with reduced mobility to venture out of the building. Rapid access to shelter is especially important with Denver’s rapidly changing weather. Fortunately, StruXure adjustable aluminum pergolas allow you to respond on-demand, featuring louvers with 170-degrees of rotation for precise control of the outdoor environment. Dial-in the perfect amount of shade throughout the day with the touch of a button or engage rain protection in a flash with built-in sensors that respond on-cue, providing residents outdoor shelter they can rely on.

Bells & whistles for fun and function

Add enjoyment to your pergola covered patio and garden spaces, integrating:

●       Motorized screens into your custom pergola design to prevent pests

●       Patio heaters or fire features for winter warmth

●       Outdoor TVs or projector screens for movie nights or sporting events

●       Raised vegetable/flower beds for easier resident access

●       And other features your guests might enjoy throughout the year

Boost your business’ reputation and popularity with an outdoor covered seating area that doubles as an advertisement for your facilities. Add a little fun and functionality to your senior center with the help of Denver Pergola Systems. Contact us for a complimentary design consultation today.

This article was previously published at: https://denverpergolas.com/adjustable-commercial-pergolas/creative-outdoor-spaces-benefit-residents-staff-family-at-senior-facilities/