Finding a Place Called Home

Homelike as a characteristic of physical spaces embodies the ideals of family, familiarity, choice, independence and memories. When you are unable to maintain an independent lifestyle at home due to decreases in health and mobility, older adults must seek alternatives to medical care in the form of nursing facilities. Many older adults are seeking assisted living due to an increasing emphasis on providing residential amenities and homelike surroundings. Within the last several years, the number of assisted living facilities has increased exponentially. This trend in homelike settings for long-term care facilities requires future design professional to consider environmental factors that support and create homelike qualities that encourage personalization and extension of the traditional domestic interior. The purpose of this study was to aid the design professional in determining if and what architectural and design elements are perceived as most homelike and non- homelike by residents in assisted living facilities.