For elders
Schlegel Villages
Schlegel Villages (formerly Oakwood Retirement Communities) have developed a number of unique long term care facilities across Ontario. These are all planned as part of large continuum of care seniors’ communities; connected by a “Main Street” to the other facilities on the site. This enables long term care residents and their families to interact with those living in the other phases, and with members of the surrounding neighbourhood.
Earl’s Court Village
Earl’s Court Village is a Long Term Care Facility providing accommodation for 128 seniors in both private and semiprivate rooms, as well as extensive common space organized into four individual ‘home areas’, one on each of the four storeys. The basement accommodates support areas as well as a large Day Program space serving individuals with acquired brain injury, served by a separate access and elevator. The overall design emphasizes social interaction, with common areas located in the centre of each floor and open views to both the street and to the garden behind the building. The project also incorporates a variety of green building design measures and has achieved a LEED® Silver rating from the Canada Green Building Council.
McCormick Home
McCormick Home in London Ontario accommodates 160 long term care residents as well as providing extensive space for 60 participants in an Alzheimers’ day program. Designed in association with Montgomery Sisam, the building embraces a contemporary architectural aesthetic with dramatic brick forms accented by natural wood at entrance canopies and large expanses of glazing. The day program features a separate access, generous activity rooms, and a large garden space to offer a wide range of experience to participants and their families.
Sisters of St. Joseph’s New Residence
The new residence for the Sisters of St. Joseph is sited on approximately 5.5 acres of land overlooking the Thames River in London, Ontario. As the first facility in the London region to achieve Gold Certification under the Canada Green Building Council’s LEED® standard, the facility was designed to incorporate the latest principles of sustainable design and energy efficiency, and was used as part of an education program to inspire similar efforts in the community. The major elements of the programme include accommodation of the Sisters in 100 suites including a 24-bed nursing care area, meeting and office space for their work and outreach, as well as a chapel and therapeutic pool.
Parkwood SCU
The renovations to the Special Care Unit at London’s Parkwood Hospital transformed a highly institution existing space into a stimulating environment which supports individual independence and activity. The area serves 30 elderly veterans in the active stages of dementia, with anxiety and exit-seeking behaviours. The extremely wide existing corridor was used to create the atmosphere of a residential street, with individual rooms articulated with varied “front porch” elements to help residents feel that they are in a familiar environment and find their way through it.
Highview Residences
Highview Residences is a specially-designed environment accommodating 24 persons with Alzheimer’s Disease or related dementias. The building consists of two linked “cottages” for 12 persons each. Designed in collaboration with Uriel Cohen of the University of Wisconsin, a leader in the field of dementia design, the model of care is based on normalizing the environment, to not only look like an ordinary home but also to function like one. For instance, meals are all prepared in the kitchen of each cottage; with resident participation encouraged to the degree of their ability. Families are likewise encouraged to be as involved in the day to day lives of the residents as possible.
