The use of common spaces in assisted living schemes for older persons: a comparison of somatic and dementia units
Journal article, 2016

This study explores how common spaces in assisted living schemes for older persons are used by the residents. Observation studies, group interviews with staff and individual interviews with residents, relatives, architects and key stakeholders in the context of Swedish elder-care were conducted. Common spaces are the major location for in-house social interaction on the units. The results show a higher presence on the dementia units, compared to the somatic units. No significant correlation was found between the residents’ mobility limitations and their degree of presence in the common spaces. The results also suggest a contradiction between the staff’s intentions to provide a social context and the capabilities of the residents. Although common spaces are not used much between meals, the residents stress their importance for social interaction, suggesting that common spaces have important qualitative aspects, rather than quantitative. The results also how that few of the residents used the common spaces together with their relatives. The increasing use of assistive technology creates a shortage of space, suggesting a conflict between the efforts to create a home-like environment and the use of assistive technology.

assisted living

social interaction

common spaces

buildings in use

Author

Morgan Andersson

Chalmers, Architecture

Jan Paulsson

Chalmers, Architecture

Inga Malmqvist

Chalmers, Architecture

Göran Lindahl

Chalmers, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Construction Management

Ageing and Society

0144-686X (ISSN) 1469-1779 (eISSN)

Vol. 36 4 837-859

Areas of Advance

Building Futures (2010-2018)

Subject Categories

Other Social Sciences not elsewhere specified

DOI

10.1017/S0144686X15000033

More information

Created

10/7/2017