The holidays can be wonderful and stressful times for senior living residents and their families. Community leaders and staff can do much to make holidays – starting with Thanksgiving – a joyous, positive time for everyone. Invite prospective residents and older adults in the community at large to participate in one or more Thanksgiving activities. Let them experience for themselves how people live and thrive in the community.

At Pi, we stay attuned to what people want in senior living. So, we were curious – what would people who are years away from considering a senior community want? After all, these individuals are the residents of the future. So, shouldn’t we consider their wants and needs in our strategic planning now?

Read what our younger staff and family members had to say.

It‘s time to settle your fears over repositioning. With the right partners and planning, repositioning can be a dream instead of a nightmare. Look at the long-term benefits to the community to stay competitive and think of repositioning as a strategic investment in the future.

Mark Warrick, AIA, LEED AP, vice president of Pi Architects, shared some common fears about repositioning/renovations and how to exorcise these demons!

Halloween means scary fun for many people, but it can be upsetting and confusing for people living with dementia. This doesn’t mean senior living and long-term care communities can’t celebrate. It calls for careful consideration and meeting these individuals where they are. We have highlighted some Halloween fun that is safe and comfortable for people living with dementia in our recent article.

October brings Halloween and all the spooky fun that comes with it. At Pi, we are embracing the spirit of the season as we consider some “haunting” senior living design trends that stick around from generation to generation. We sat down with Jamie Shepard, interior design project manager at Pi, to discuss design trends that are here to stay: Pull back the curtain! “Natural light is your greatest asset as a building designer and developer,” said Shepard, adding, “Where there is natural light, there is where people want to congregate..

Labor Day is fast approaching, and it’s that last hurrah of summer before it’s time for falling leaves and pumpkin spice. September 1 is also an ideal time to host a summer send-off with residents, as well as to recognize the contributions they and your staff have made to the workforce.

Dating back to the late 1800s, Labor Day was designed to recognize the contributions of workers in this country. It started after a period where labor activists pushed for rights.

In today’s ever-changing world, organizations are so busy looking for ways to attract new staff that they’ve overlooked an important means of addressing staffing shortages –failing to make the best most effective use of their current team.

Utilizing what you’ve got is important when profit margins are razor-thin and budgets are being slashed, but there are ways to make your buildings more efficient and staff-friendly without breaking the bank. In general, this involves balancing operational improvements with cost-effectiveness.

The design and layout of a building or community can go far toward reducing the environmental risks of falling. One of the design aspects of senior community design is fall prevention, as even minor falls can significantly impact residents' health and independence. Thoughtfully planned interiors can help reduce fall risks, promoting safety and well-being.

As we gather around tables with family, friends, and loved ones this Thanksgiving, Pi Architects’ team wants to reflect on this past year's progress, growth, and purpose. This holiday is a special time to pause, appreciate what we have, and look forward with gratitude and excitement for what’s yet to come. We have so much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. We have had the opportunity to partner with visionaries and organizations to design communities and spaces that promote comfort, purpose, and well-being. We are also incredibly fortunate to have a team of passionate, talented, and creative professionals – specialists across all major design disciplines, architecture, interior design, repositioning, development, master planning, and longevity.

A friend once told me about visiting the Jersey Shore as a kid and seeing huge old mansions converted into retirement homes. Every summer, there would be dozens of residents sitting in rocking chairs on the porch, taking in the sites of the bustling beach community. These people, she estimated, were between 60 and 80 years old for the most part. Today, the statistics show that people of this age are doing anything but sitting on the porch; and senior communities need more rock and roll than rocking chairs to appeal to residents.

For the Capstone at Centerra Assisted Living and Memory Care, familiarity is a key element of the community’s success. Throughout the design process, the local history and atmosphere of Loveland, CO, was kept front and center. The result is a stunning new assisted living and memory care community that pairs a rustic agrarian atmosphere with timeless simplicity, forming a love letter to its hometown.

In today’s fast-moving world of trends, it can be difficult and overwhelming to understand, much less implement, the latest style into one’s life.  The world of Interior Design is no different in that trends move fast and can be somewhat hard to identify.  Individuals who what to update can be left feeling lost on what to do unless they want to adopt a very particular style where the rules are clear.  Design styles such as French County, English Cottage, Southwestern, etc. can look great when well executed, but can also make designers and decorators feel like they need to choose pieces that fit neatly within boundaries, therefore hindering creativity or personalizing a space. 

Predicting the future takes more than some educated guesses and creative thinking. Looking into the future of senior living means taking a fresh and insightful look at a new generation of older adults -- individuals with their own experiences, challenges, concerns, goals, interests, and demands.

Pi sat down with Bryon Cohron, vice president, of market analysis and business development at ProMatura, to talk about how senior living design is evolving to meet the needs of seniors tomorrow and 10 and 20 years down the road.

 The Atlantic Hurricane season peaks on September 10th, and so far this season has been kind. As we approach September, it means we are preparing for strong storms and hoping for the best, including senior living owners and operators.   However, even if hurricanes are not a concern for you, natural disasters are happening more frequently everywhere, and everyone needs to be prepared.

Sage Vally Senior Living, nestled in the historic town of Pflugerville, Texas opened with excitement and grand style this past spring. Pi Architects attended the event to witness their hard work and diligence. “We worked to tie it (the building) into the history of Texas and wove some fun and joyful memories and stories into the building”, exclaimed Mark Warrick, AIA, vice president of Pi.

Like so many aspects of senior living, pools have evolved. No longer are these just for lounging or swimming. Increasingly, the design and features of a pool and the surroundings are carefully thought out and planned or can result in an expensive unused, and high-maintenance amenity that does little to attract prospects. Before making an investment in a pool, communities need to determine how residents want to use the amenity and what features or accessories will be needed.

We asked some of our Pi partners and friends to share their thoughts about what they’re looking forward to in 2023. Judging by their responses, it’s going to be an exciting year filled with many opportunities for positive change, cutting edge innovations, partnerships and collaborations, plus much more.

As the winter holidays are now in full swing, we can all give thanks to, and for, each other for working together to meet all the challenges of the past few years. Thank you! It is great to be thinking about a new year and what innovative and exciting things await us!

Work is part of life life, even as people age. While senior living communities are often thought of places people go to retire, many residents couldn’t or wouldn’t think of retiring. Any builder/operator who wants to attract residents needs to think about providing amenities for working seniors.

While fewer people are getting seriously ill with Covid, seniors are still concerned about their safety. These worries aren’t likely to go away soon, and many health care leaders predict that activities such as masking in various situations are here to stay. To attract residents today, tomorrow, and 10 years from now, senior living communities should prioritize safety in innovative ways.