It’s all in the design: A preview of the 2013 Environments for Aging Conference

“Design must reflect the practical and aesthetic in business, but above all…good design must primarily serve people.” –Thomas J. Watson

Nowhere is this truer than in the world of senior living and long-term care, where serving people is the central focus of one’s business. Good design in environments for the aging improves not only the quality of life for residents, but it resonates, and hopefully improves, every aspect of the senior living business, from marketing to housekeeping.

Nowhere will LTC professionals find a more comprehensive and qualified collection of minds from the architecture, interior design and building fields than at Long-Term Living’s 2013 Environments for Aging Conference. Attendees of this three-day event will learn the latest trends and technologies and the steps to conceptualize and execute living facilities that appeal to seniors and their families while at the same time create the foundation of a profitable business.

The event, to be held April 6 -9 at The Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans, will immerse attendees in the best practices in building, architecture and design and provide the industry’s best insights into the future of senior living.

The EFA 2013 Conference offers a valuable educational and networking experience for the following professionals:

• Architects
• Owners
• Developers
• Facilities managers
• Design professionals
• Product manufacturers
• Government officials
• Gerontologists and other aging experts

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS

Two keynote presentations will highlight the 2013 conference. Sunday’s speaker, market researcher Margaret Wylde, president & CEO, ProMatura Group, has, for the last 25 years, played an integral role in understanding what consumers are looking for in housing, especially in housing for the aging. Wylde’s knowledge of the age-qualified housing industry is widely recognized as being among the industry’s best. In 2007 Wylde was recognized as an “Icon of the Industry” by the 50+ Council of the National Association of Home Builders.

Having performed hundreds of proprietary studies, Wylde offers unparalleled insight not only into consumer preferences but a real understanding of how communities, properties and services excelled.          

Monday’s keynote, “Positive Aging Environments—The Community Response” features more standouts in the field of senior design: Dodd Kattman, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, partner, Morrison Kattman Menze Architecture Planning Interiors; Thomas M. Esselman, president and CEO, Institute for the Ages; and D. Scott Crabtree, president and CEO, Broadway Services, Lambeth House.

These renowned professionals will demonstrate the role of the community in designing effective environments for aging. Kattman, Esselman and Crabtree will share success stories of how towns, cities and regions have successfully provided services, support and  successful lifestyles for their aging citizens. Be inspired by the story of a community rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina, a visionary and strategic regional approach in Florida and case studies from across the U.S.—all demonstrating that “community up” is an approach that serves not only older populations but the community as a whole.

PROGRAMS AND WORKSHOPS

The session agenda for EFA 2013 is like no other in the industry. Pre-conference workshops immerse attendees in such topics as evidence-based design, supportive design for aging, environmental gerontology and housing development for seniors. A sampling of conference program topics includes:

• Emerging technology
• Elder-friendly design
• Effects of the Affordable Care Act
• Design for dementia and memory care
• Lighting strategies
• Remodeling, repositioning and rebranding
• Activity room design
• Energy usage
• International case studies
• Sense-sensitive design
• Synaptic networks
• Co-op housing
• Regulatory changes
• Multi-generational housing

EARN CEU CREDITS

Content at the 2013 Environments for Aging Conference complies with the accreditation requirements accepted by most major credentialing organizations. Attendees receive CE credits for attending or participating in: facility tours, pre-conference workshops, keynotes, educational breakout sessions and roundtable discussion groups. The following CE programs are available:

• Architects: 25 credit hours are available for AIA members.
• EDAC: Evidence-based Design Accreditation and Certification: 15 EDAC CEUs are available.
• Interior Designers: 25 credit hours are available for all IDCEC organizations.
• NAB Long-Term Care Administrators: 25 credit hours are available to licensed LTC administrators.
• NAHB: EFA 2013 meets NAHB’s continuing education requirements for the following designations: Certified Graduate Remodeler (CGR), Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist (CAPS), Certified Graduate Builder (CGB).

Do not miss this opportunity to be on the cutting edge of long-term and residential care design. For more information, visit Long-Term Living.

I Advance Senior Care

I Advance Senior Care is the industry-leading source for practical, in-depth, business-building, and resident care information for owners, executives, administrators, and directors of nursing at assisted living communities, skilled nursing facilities, post-acute facilities, and continuing care retirement communities. The I Advance Senior Care editorial team and industry experts provide market analysis, strategic direction, policy commentary, clinical best-practices, business management, and technology breakthroughs.

I Advance Senior Care is part of the Institute for the Advancement of Senior Care and published by Plain-English Health Care.