Reconnect the aging: residential assisted living for the elders in a Great Plains small town

Abstract

This thesis project, Reconnect the Aging: Residential Assisted Living for the Elders in a Great Plains Small Town, addresses forgotten and unnoticed elderly in society and how they can be reconnected to the surrounding community that is called home. It will look at challenge with a growing elderly population, their need for an improved and greater quality of living and how design can help seniors to live a more active and fulfilling life. The typology to be explored will be an Assisted Living Facility located within an existing residential neighborhood near the downtown of the city of Brookings, South Dakota. The research of the Theoretical Premise/Unifying Idea for thesis will look at the increase of the aging population and ways to improve their quality of living. As people age their quality of life can decrease because of the physical and medical limitations. Younger generations will face and deal with the challenge of providing exceptional care and places of residences for the baby booming generation that is near retirement. This thesis project will take a look at several case studies that show how important design detail can affect lifestyles and new architectural strategies for elderly housing. Accessibility and universal design strategies can provide the elderly with a revitalized and reconnected surrounding community that brings meaning to quality of life.