Memories of home: Bedroom

Windows

Seniors typically don’t get enough natural light. “If you stay in your room most of the day, you’re definitely not going to get enough natural light to stimulate your circadian rhythms,” Carpenter says of traditional LTC bedroom design. “Here, even if you stay in your room, you’re still going to get that natural light.” The bedroom’s large, arched windows allow for maximum light. Varied ceiling height adds visual interest and makes the room appear larger. The bay window and light exposure on two different walls are an extension of the floor area that affords a cozy reading nook.

Bed

Pritchard says they noticed that children sleep in twin-sized beds until they move out of their parents’ house, spend most of their adult life in at least a double, then when they move into long-term care, they go back to a twin-sized bed. They didn’t understand the mattress change, so they created a bedroom big enough to suit individual residents’ bed preferences. “Our spaces need to allow for that personalization and to allow for some of the habits you’ve developed your entire adult life to continue forward because that’s what’s comfortable and is known and familiar,” Pritchard says.

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Image courtesy of Alise O’Brien Photography

Nicole Stempak

Nicole was Senior Editor at I Advance Senior Care and Long Term Living Magazine 2015-2017. She has a Journalism degree from Kent State University and is finalizing a master’s degree in Information Architecture and Management. She has extensive studies in the digital user experience and in branding online media. She has worked as an editor and writer for various B2B publications, including Business Finance.