Unlocking the house of rumors: that strange, forbidding place in the neighborhood--the senior living facility!--Can become more community-friendly through good design.

Many of us grew up in neighborhoods that had a "house of rumors"--a mysterious dwelling that seemed somehow separate from us "normal" people. Stories sprouted about it, but nobody knew who truly lived there ... or what they did. We tried to avoid it. When we had to pass it, we ran or pedaled as fast as we could.

Unfortunately, senior living facilities have developed a similar reputation within many communities. Community members perceive them as gloomy places to which elderly outcasts retreat to live the remainder of their lonely, sedentary lives. Many soon-to-be retirees steer clear of senior living facilities, which they see as a last resort that requires them to give up so many of the things they love doing. In turn, residents feel physically and psychologically divorced from mainstream society. And providers confront considerable difficulty in marketing their facilities.

But times are changing. Leading long-term care organizations, such as the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) and the American Health Care Association (AHCA), recently conceived the Quality First initiative, with a mission "to achieve excellence in aging services and to earn public trust." Its 10-Point Plan includes "community involvement" and developing "public trust and consumer confidence."

At the same time members of the first wave of socially dynamic baby boomers are beginning to consider retirement communities. This is a growing demographic group: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of Americans aged 55 to 64 will grow 47.2% between 2000 and 2010, while the workforce will shrink by 10 million workers during the next seven years.

"Unless we create vibrant environments that enhance their lives, people will stay at home for as long as possible," says Eric Krull, associate of THW Design. "We need to take retirement out of the equation," adds Jack Bowersox, president of MAG-NET Architectural Alliance. "The new wave won't let go; they've been involved and want to stay involved."

Senior living organizations, architects, and developers, therefore, are collaborating to address these changes using three methods: allowing residents to mingle with their neighbors, inviting neighbors in, and reaching out to neighbors. By redefining and emphasizing the retirement facility's role in the community, providers can unlock their particular "house of rumors" and create a warm relationship with their neighbors.

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Method One: Mingling With Neighbors

For years, senior living facilities have subsisted in out-of-the-way areas, cut off from the real world. To combat this, senior living facilities are joining major mixed-use developments. Giving a retirement facility a prominent location within an energetic neighborhood (which accommodates people of all ages) conveys a message to residents and the community: Seniors are members; they do belong.

One example is Chestnut Square at The Glen, designed by Legat Architects, Inc., and owned and operated by Bethany Methodist Corp. This project is the winner of the Village of Glenview's competition for a five-acre plot in the center of the redevelopment of the former Glenview Naval Air Station (GNAS) in Illinois (figure 1). (For an introductory overview of Chestnut Square, see "Market Positioning Through Design," p. 38, DESIGN 2003, a Nursing Homes/Long Term Care Management publication.) Dubbed "The Glen," this 1,121-acre area encourages Chestnut Square residents to become pedestrians, enjoy a variety of surroundings that promote activity, and create a sense of belonging. For example:

* To the north is a mixed-use area, including townhouses, restaurants, shopping, a wellness center with a senior wing, and a theater.

* To the east are single family homes and a historical chapel across the street.

* To the south is a nine-acre prairie.

* To the south and west is The Glen Club golf course (figure 2).

* To the northeast are open areas, including a children's park and a lake.

A major advantage of this arrangement is the proximity of all these surroundings. Bethany Methodist conceived Chestnut Square as an option for retired adults seeking an active, socially dynamic lifestyle--and they've succeeded. The facility and The Glen Town Center opened last fall, with the initial group of retail and restaurant establishments occupying 350,000 square feet--all a short stroll from Chestnut Square. (Another 100,000 square feet will open soon.) Residents without drivers' licenses need not wait for a bus to go shopping or out to lunch; they can walk. This gives them control over where they go and when.

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Adds Don Owen, director of The Glen Redevelopment Project, "The nice thing about the Town Center is that it's designed to appeal to all age groups."

Chestnut Square is often referred to as "The Heart of The Glen." By placing it in the center of the thriving development, Glenview shows residents and the public that seniors are a vital part of the community.

Method Two: Inviting Neighbors In

Operated by Fairview Ministries, Inc., Carriage Club of Naperville (currently under design by Legat Architects) is a good example of inviting neighbors in. Another senior living facility situated within a mixed-use development (Naperville Crossing, located in a Chicago suburb), Carriage Club will use several techniques to invite the community in.

The campus's main facility will have three entrances: assisted living (the most private entrance), congregate living (the main entrance), and general public (figure 3). The public entry leads to an approximately 13,500-square-foot Cultural Center featuring a great room with seating for 240. (Figure 4 shows a great room designed for flexibility already constructed at Chestnut Square.) In this room, residents will enjoy events ranging from large holiday concerts to movie nights. Community members may use it for rotary meetings, civic group meetings, and black-tie galas. When visitors enter, a (possibly) resident-run retail shop will encourage them to browse or buy a cup of coffee.

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Another example: Sponsored by the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, Mother Angeline McCrory Manor in Columbus, Ohio, will have a unique resident community space known as City Center, which is under construction (figures 5 and 6). City Center will be a mall-like retail space fashioned as a spacious internal streetscape. THW Design's Krull, project designer, expects it will attract residents within the senior living campus and the surrounding community with its benches, old-fashioned streetlights, storefront shopping, and restaurant facades mimicking those found in quaint Ohio villages.

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Method Three: Reaching Out to Neighbors

Many retirees fear that senior living facilities will disengage them from work or meaningful work substitutes. When this happens, they conclude they are no longer productive members of society; they are the ostracized inhabitants of that dreaded "house of rumors." And the general public perpetuates the stereotype.

The spaces a senior living facility offers can demolish the stereotype. Although the standard spaces usually found are essential, they subtly restrict residents to certain activities: The library is for reading, period; the cafe is for eating--that's it. The solution lies in spaces with unspecified functions. Also known as "leftover space" or "resident-inspired space," these areas challenge residents to devise and participate in communal or personal activities. For instance, residents may wish to start a class that simply teaches them how to use e-mail or the Internet. Or a recent retiree might want to keep up with his or her profession on a part-time consulting basis. Without flexible spaces with the appropriate technology, none of this will happen.

One provider that embraces resident-inspired space is Fairview Ministries. The organization's facilities provide unlabeled spaces to support its Program to Extend Productivity (PEP), or People Energized by Purpose, as the residents call it. Residents use these spaces to initiate and manage "divisions" defined by their interests and skills. "Fairview provided the space, but the residents created the programs," says Christine Fenn, vice-president of Fairview Ministries' Elder Enterprises. Importantly, the program extends beyond the walls of the facilities. Members of some divisions travel off campus to teach and help community members, while other divisions welcome nonresidents to the facility.

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All of this was the vision of Wes Ringdahl, then-CEO of Fairview Ministries, who said it was intended "to offer active and purposeful alternatives for retired mature adults troubled that their valuable resources and experience were not used." Today, Fairview Ministries is integrating PEP into all four of its existing campuses, as well as its new Carriage Club campus. The Fairview Village campus alone operates 20 divisions with 360 volunteers, including 56 nonresidents; half the divisions are open to community members. The campus's main facility offers flexible spaces for the divisions, such as:

* Craftsmen Division

* Fairview Gift Shop

* Resale Shop

* Sable Art Studio

* Used Furniture Division

Last year, PEP brought money back into Fairview Village's Residents Assistance Fund. According to Fenn, PEP "is a living example of meeting the spiritual, social, emotional, intellectual, and occupational needs of senior residents." But she prefers to let residents, such as Henry Linabury of the Home Delivery Meals Division, attest to this: "I appreciate the opportunity to help other older adults in the community. It is a pleasure to deliver meals. We help more than 28 folks a day, rain or shine."

Meanwhile, Mother Angeline McCrory Manor's City Center will also exemplify the resident-inspired space concept. A festive 1,800-square-foot open space will set the stage for "theatrical memories," according to Krull, adding, "Residents can come to observe, sit, read, surf the Web, or borrow tables and chairs from the cafe to create a social hub."

The Learning Community

Still another promising model is the "life-enhancement" or "learning" community. "People do not want to stop learning, and this desire can link the residents and the community," says MAG-NET's Bowersox. He proposes a "life-enhancement community" on a CCRC campus, with the campus creating a "sphere of excellence," a program that unites a variety of people. For instance, a strong horticultural program might result in the development of a state-of-the-art greenhouse that appeals to residents' interests, involves programs from the local college, and maybe even accommodates resident-run research for local businesses.

An End to the Rumors

All of the above methods have been shown to result in observable improvements in the relationship between residents and the general public. A resident-sensitive environment enriches, rather than debilitates, retirees' lifestyles. "It can be a place where residents are never disengaged from meaningful work or the community," says Bowersox. "Instead of asking, 'What do I have to give up now?' they'll ask, 'What can I achieve next?'"

The general public, for its part, might find itself convinced that the senior living "house of rumors" is actually a helpful, productive neighbor. Instead of avoiding it or hurrying by, community members might just drop in.

BY APRIL MAIFIELD, AIA, AND DOUGLAS OGUREK

April Maifield, AIA, is an Associate and gerontology specialist, and Douglas Ogurek is a member of the healthcare marketing department, at Legat Architects, Inc. For more information, phone [phone] or e-mail [e-mail]. To comment on this article, please send e-mail to [e-mail]. For reprints in quantities of 100 or more, call [phone].