Nursing Home Design Guide
2006
8. Multi-Story Facilities
unit exits and entries. This may be
accomplished by designing so that:
Multi-story facilities are the result of site
or program related factors. Two-story
buildings allow units to share staff and
Staff routinely encounter residents
common spaces. Multi-story projects
Views are unobstructed from work
can often obtain some of the same
desks to halls, dining, gathering
aesthetic advantages provided in the
areas and outside spaces
single-story facilities; for example:
At night, licensed staff have a view of
desks used by nursing assistants
Distributing common spaces
Equipment and low voltage wireless
vertically as well as horizontally
systems are used to provide
Designing verandas, porches and
information about door positions, to
extensions of programs to the
monitor specific medical equipment,
outside, with operable windows
and sometimes to monitor the risky
incorporated (See Figure 3.18)
movements of identified wanderers
Designing higher ceilings and
Staff members are outfitted with
clerestories for common spaces on
wearable communication systems to
upper floors
provide continuous coverage as they
Creating destination features by
circulate through a "neighborhood" or
orienting vistas toward particularly
unit.
engaging views, which are visible
2. Walking Distances
only from upper floors
Design the Nursing Home with short
travel routes down corridors, through
units, and between resident rooms and
dining areas. The following are
recommended travel distances:
For Older People. Average travel
distances of 50' to 60', with extremes
of less than 80', can encourage
resident ambulation and self-
propulsion.
For Nursing Assistants. Typical
walking distances of 30-80' are
preferable (and illustrated in this
Figure 3.18
Design Guide) in comparison to
Multi-Story Facility Amenities
building configurations with
CO State Veterans' Home at Fitzsimons, Aurora,
centralized staff assignments that
CO
can generate distances of 320' or
more.
3.4.3 Design Considerations
For Licensed Staff and Physicians.
Optimizing walking distances for
1. Visual and Auditory Monitoring
licensed staff and physicians is
Staff should be able to continually
important, as many are required to
observe areas where residents emerge
cover the extremes ("ends-to-ends")
from their bedrooms as well as monitor
Office of Facilities Management
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