As the nation ages, design professionals are working to ensure that health care interiors meet the needs of older people, according to an article on the Health Facilities Management magazine website.
Ten thousand baby boomers have turned 65 each day since Jan. 1, 2011; by 2030, when the entire generation will have passed that milestone, 18 percent of the U.S. population will be 65 or older, according to the Pew Research Center. Last year, that percentage was 12.8, according to the article.
Stephanie Reem, a senior interior designer with BWBR, Saint Paul, Minn., said that through an approach she calls empathetic design, designers are going beyond just eliminating hazards to seeing life through aging eyes — both literally and figuratively, the article said,
In selecting finishes, Reem uses a piece of yellow acrylic to simulate how older people see color, as eyes tend to yellow with age, according to the article. This helps her make wise choices regarding contrast, color and pattern.
Older people may find it difficult to read signs, increasing the importance of visual wayfinding cues in the environment. Flooring patterns can be used to differentiate hospital floors and services in a way that's easily understood, the article said.
According to the article, older adults typically need three to four times the light as people in their 20s, due to changes in the eye that occur with age. Layers of light, including natural, overhead and wall-mounted lighting, are important.
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