Environments For Aging

ic4hd interviews Kevin Gaffney

IC4HD interviews Kevin Gaffney, HD Expo

ic4hd interviews Kevin Gaffney

IC4HD interviews Kevin Gaffney, Vice President and Group Show Director at Emerald, who shares his thoughts and impressions about the 2021 edition of Hospitality Design Expo 2021.

HD Expo + Conference is the largest hospitality event of its kind in the country, showcasing the latest products, services, and innovative developments from the industry’s leading manufacturers.

How is your impression about the industry you’ve met at HD Expo?

The industry was so excited to be back in person and see products up close and personal. The attendees that came to the show were very high-level decision-makers who were very keen on seeing new products and reconnecting with colleagues.

 

What are the main innovations this COVID pandemic has brought to the industry?

Honesty and transparency are needed in business, with product delays a current issue, expectations need to be set upfront at initial product request stage because there are many things out of manufacturing control. There is also a need for potential new products to accommodate Covid related model adjustments.

 

Can you already give us some anticipations about HD Expo 22? Any special feature to be introduced?

We will be back to three halls and look forward to having more companies back in the show with us in April. We will continue the features we added to HD 2021. We will also be launching a new matchmaking program that exhibitors can opt-in for a small sponsorship fee. Each sponsor will be guaranteed a number of face to face meetings with high-level decision-makers.

 

Can you tell us something about EFA and HCD Expo?

While both EFA and HCD were smaller in 2021 due to Covid, both events were well attended and the feedback from exhibitors has been overwhelmingly positive. EFA 2022 will take place April 2-5 at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; HCD 2022 will take place October 8-11 in San Antonio, Texas

 

Italian Contract 4 Hospitality Design coordinates the participation of Italian companies and institutions to international events for hospitality and contract design like HD Expo, EFA Expo + Conference and Healthcare Design Expo. Contact us at contract@lanariassociates.com to find out more about our services and read the series of IC4HD interviews.

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jennifer kovacs silvis eng

IC4HD interviews Jennifer Kovacs Silvis, EFA Magazine

jennifer kovacs silvis eng

IC4HD interviews Jennifer Kovacs Silvis, Editor-in-Chief at Environments for Aging Magazine, who shares her thoughts and impressions about the 2021 edition of Environment For Aging Expo + Conference.

The EFA Magazine is the industry’s premier source of insight, information, and inspiration, delivering to readers the latest senior living design news and in-depth coverage of new projects and trends.

How is your impression of the industry you’ve met at EFA?

The industry members who attend the EFA Expo & Conference are a passionate group of professionals driven by the shared mission of improving environments where people age. Many of them attend the show each year, embracing the annual opportunity to learn, network, and explore new products—all with the goal of walking away with fresh ideas to help support the design of environments where seniors can thrive.

What are the main innovations this COVID pandemic has brought to the industry?

Senior living designers and community owners/operators have learned a great deal about how smaller household models of care proved to be beneficial in controlling the spread of COVID-19 among residents and staff versus larger, institutional environments. That will be a key consideration moving forward for higher-acuity settings. However, across all levels of care and community types, the industry gained new appreciation for the value of social interaction and outdoor settings. Achieving meaningful connections between residents via built environment solutions and creating activated and purposeful outdoor areas will drive new projects in the future. 

Regarding the conference sessions, which are the themes that gained more attention?

In addition to the topics above, the industry is interested in how the design community can influence more affordable senior housing/support residential options for the middle market and achieve environments that offer opportunities for interaction between multiple generations by being integrated in existing neighbourhoods. These are themes that were top of mind pre-pandemic and that we anticipate will remain so going forward. 

Can you already give us some anticipation about EFA 2022? Any special features to be introduced?

The 2022 EFA Expo will return to our usual spring schedule April 2-5 in Milwaukee. We have a great session lineup in place across five tracks including Design Innovation, Community Engagement, and Case Studies & Lessons Learned. The expo hall is filling up quickly, and we’ll soon be identifying local senior living communities for attendee tours and planning our annual networking party to take full advantage of the local culture and flavor of our host city.

What are the expectations about the upcoming HCD?

The healthcare design industry is excited to be together in person again, safely. We’re thrilled that the event will take place in Cleveland, too—a home to numerous healthcare institutions and care delivery innovations (and the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll). We’ll be in the heart of downtown at the Huntington Convention Center, offering 20 hours of CEU-certified educational sessions, provocative keynote presentations, generous expo hall hours, annual awards celebrations, and networking events including our Cleveland ROCKS party.

Italian Contract 4 Hospitality Design coordinates the participation of Italian companies and institutions to international events for hospitality and contract design like EFA Expo + Conference. Contact us at contract@lanariassociates.com to find out more about our services and read the series of IC4HD interviews.

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Debra Levin

IC4HD intervista Debra Levin, The Center for Health Design

Debra Levin

Grazie ai consolidati rapporti con il mondo dell’Healthcare Design, abbiamo avuto l’opportunità di intervistare Debra Levin, President & CEO di The Center for Health Design. Nato nel 1993 con l’obiettivo di creare strutture sanitarie che promuovono ambienti più sani per i pazienti e il personale, il Centro ha negli anni maturato una comprovata esperienza nella creazione, lancio e fornitura di programmi che forniscono un vero valore all’industria del design per il settore sanitario: certificazione EDAC (Evidence-Based Design Accreditation and Certification), Affiliate Program, il programma scientifico di Healthcare Design Expo + Conference, insieme alla più ampia raccolta di ricerche, best practice, risorse e strumenti per la progettazione sanitaria più urgenti e impegnativi di oggi. La community del Centre for Health Design raccoglie architetti, interior designer, dirigenti sanitari, professionisti sanitari, ricercatori, produttori di prodotti, educatori e studenti, tutti impegnati cambiare in meglio il design sanitario.

Qual è il suo punto di vista sull’healthcare design al momento?

L’industria sta cercando di capire quali sono gli interventi migliori per fronteggiare la pandemia. Alcuni progetti sono stati messi in pausa, ma vedo che nelle ultime settimane si sta muovendo qualcosa. Sono ottimista anche se consapevole della difficoltà della situazione.

 

Healthcare design e hospitality design… come vede questi due comparti?

Credo che il design sanitario sia in una situazione migliore rispetto a quello per l’ospitalità. Per un paio di anni prevedo ancora riduzioni a livello di viaggi, soprattutto per lavoro. E se è possibile scegliere se e quando viaggiare, non è possibile invece decidere se è necessario andare in ospedale, purtroppo.
Un settore che vedo molto in crescita è quello del senior design. Quando abbiamo creato la manifestazione Environments for Aging Expo+Conference avevo proposto il nome “Environments for Healthy Aging”. I baby boomers stanno entrando in fasce d’età più avanzate e sono abituati a vivere in ambienti piacevoli, cosa che vorranno continuare a fare anche più avanti negli anni. È un mercato con grandi prospettive di crescita.

 

Intravede un trend che sta diventando particolarmente importante nei progetti healthcare a seguito dell’emergenza Covid?

Nessun trend che non fosse già in discussione prima della pandemia. Sicurezza e controllo delle infezioni, telemedicina, solo per citarne alcune, sono tematiche di cui si parlava già da tempo, ma che certamente il Covid ha accelerato.
Al di fuori dell’emergenza che stiamo vivendo, invece, stanno trovando sempre più rilevanza la salute mentale e comportamentale e, come già detto, il tema dell’healthy aging.

 

Quali sono le caratteristiche che un fornitore dovrebbe avere per lavorare nel settore healthcare design?

Potrei distinguere due livelli. Il primo, quello basilare, comprende onestà, apertura e la volontà di costruire relazioni stabili con gli stakeholder principali. Il secondo, invece, consiste nel proporre un’offerta unica in termini di linea prodotto e comunicazione, qualcosa che nessun altro è in grado di fornire. Da questo punto di vista, con l’attenzione al dettaglio e all’estetica tipica del Made in Italy, le aziende italiane partono avvantaggiate! E sviluppare prodotti che si allineino alle ricerche: l’evidence based design è una delle chiavi del successo. Certamente poi aiuta molto avere un punto di riferimento negli USA, in quanto rende la comunicazione più agile. Nonché l’aver già specificato qualche prodotto in qualche progetto, permette di superare alcune resistenze.

 

 

Italian Contract 4 Hospitality Design, oltre a organizzare la partecipazione a HealthCare Design Expo+Conference (Cleveland, OH, 23-26 ottobre 2021), mette in contatto le aziende italiane con i professionisti del settore contract healthcare USA. Per leggere le altre interviste, seguite IC4HD interviews

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Debra Levin

IC4HD interviews: Debra Levin, The Center for Health Design

Debra Levin

IC4HD had the chance to get an exclusive interview with Debra Levin, President & CEO at The Center for Health Design.

Formed in 1993 as a team of forward thinkers with a vision for creating healthcare facilities that promote healthier environments for patients and staff, The Center has established a proven track record of creating, launching and delivering programs that provide true value to the healthcare design industry, along with the largest collection of healthcare design research, best practices, resources and tools for today’s most urgent and challenging healthcare design issues. Today, the community is made up of a global array of architects, interior designers, healthcare executives, healthcare professionals, researchers, product manufacturers, educators, and students, all committed to changing healthcare design for the better.

What is your pulse on healthcare design industry at the moment?

The industry is working hard to understand the best way to navigate through these uncharted waters and how to respond as an industry to the pandemic. A lot of financial resources have been put into fighting Covid and setting up testing and emergency response facilities. Many projects were initially put on hold, but some of those have been restarted in the last several weeks. I’m cautiously optimistic. Thankfully, the healthcare design industry is in a better condition than some others like hospitality. I foresee a reduction on business travel for a couple of years; you can choose whether to travel, but you cannot decide when you need to go to hospital. I can see a boom in the aging sector. Baby Boomers are growing older and have higher expectations than generations before them, so we have to create a wider variety of engaging environments for aging. When we started the Environments for Aging Expo + Conference, I suggested we call it “Environments for Healthy Aging”!

 

Can you identify any particular trend that has become increasingly important in healthcare projects due to the Covid emergency?

Not anything specific. The pandemic accelerated trends that we were already starting to see happen: from safety to infection prevention and control, and especially telemedicine.
Outside of Covid, I see much more thought and care being given to designing for mental and behavioral health as well as new models for senior living.

 

What are the most important characteristics of a supplier?

I can identify two levels of important characteristics. On the basic one, I would put honesty, openness and the capacity to build relationships with key stakeholders. On a further step, it’s important to have a unique product line offering in terms of producing something nobody else is offering – something that solves a problem or answers a need in the industry and then communicating that value properly. Also developing products using evidence-based design is a plus. Knowing what the research says and designing using that knowledge is important. That said, the attention to aesthetic and detail typical of “Made in Italy” is an advantage. Having a US presence can be significant because it makes conversations easier, and having successfully placed projects already on other projects helps break down barriers.

 

 

Italian Contract 4 Hospitality Design, besides coordinating the participation to Healthcare Design Expo + Conference (Cleveland, OH, October 23 to 26, 2021), creates connections between Italian companies and the professionals of healthcare design sector in the US. To read the series of IC4HD interviews, follow IC4HD interviews

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colori senior living design

L’uso dei colori nel senior living design

Inspīr Carnegie Hill New York Photo © Evan Joseph
Inspīr Carnegie Hill | New York | Photo © Evan Joseph | https://efamagazine.com/projects/photo-tour-inspir-carnegie-hill/

Nel post precedente abbiamo parlato dell’importanza di armonizzare il colore con tutti gli altri elementi del design. Ma lo stesso webinar “Color in Healthcare Environments” offre un altro spunto davvero interessante: la percezione dei colori è modificata anche da alcune caratteristiche dell’osservatore, quali età, capacità visive e salute mentale.

Alcune patologie anche piuttosto comuni tra le persone più anziane, come la cataratta ad esempio, possono compromettere la visuale rendendola annebbiata oppure ingiallita, e modificando di conseguenza anche la percezione dei colori.

L’uso del colore nelle strutture destinate a ospitare una popolazione senior si rivela tuttavia molto utile in particolare:

  1. Se coordinato con uno studio dell’illuminazione degli ambienti: una maggiore luminosità corrisponde a un maggior senso di ampiezza e una luce calda contribuisce a dare un senso di calore allo spazio
  2. Come supporto alla segnaletica: l’uso di colori forti e a contrasto aiuta a definire spazi e limiti (ad esempio porte, angoli, pareti e pavimenti), nonché a definire diversi piani e livelli.

IC4HD tips:

  • La popolazione over 65 ha ormai superato il 16.5% negli USA e il trend è in continua crescita, effetto anche dell’avanzare dell’età dei baby boomers. Si tratta quindi di un target in continua espansione
  • Senior Living ≠ casa di riposo. Sarebbe molto limitante pensare al senior design solamente in termini di forniture per RSA. Le senior living communities negli USA ospitano – e sempre di più andranno a ospitare – persone che scelgono la comodità di un ambiente assistito ma con un design gradevole e un’aria di casa

Italian Contract 4 Hospitality Design organizza la partecipazione delle aziende italiane a Environments For Aging Expo + Conference, l’evento dedicato alle soluzioni di design senior friendly. La prossima edizione si terrà dal 28 al 31 agosto 2021 a Chattanooga, Tennessee. Per maggiori informazioni »

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