By Healthcare Facilities Today

 Private conversation area for families, residential style restrooms, are just two of the ways that architects designed the Homer J. Sr. & Fern O.Custead Care Center in Orange Park, Fla., for resident centered care instead of the usual skilled nursing model.

“When you stop and think about it, isn’t dealing with a person’s last few days the ultimate in resident and family care?” says Eugene R. Guszkowski, senior principal, AG Architecture, Wauwatosa, Wis.

In an article on the Healthcare Design website, Guszkowski discussed how  the firm used inventive ways to reduce any visible signs of the clinical workings of the facility. That design approach helped earn the project a Citation of Merit in Healthcare Design’s Architectural and Interior Design Showcase. 

According to the article, the jury praised the facility’s “calming residential feel” and applauded AG Architecture's efforts to "be cutting edge and depart from traditional hospice models." 

To achieve a homey environment, it’s scale that makes the difference, Guszkowski said in the article. "We try to think in terms of what are the kinds of spaces you expect to find in a house.” 

Read the article.