Nursing homes are in need of a great change, as COVID-19 exposed the underlying issues facing these facilities. Nursing homes face a myriad of problems, including poor living conditions and health code violations. 94% of nursing homes were cited for health violations and 17% caused real, physical harm to patients, including bedsores, medical confusions, faulty diet or nutrition, and abuse and neglect. These problems create serious concern, as the need for nursing homes has increased over the years. Additionally, 65-year-olds have a 70% chance of needing long-term care, and 20% of them will require care for more than five years.
Nursing homes also face notable financial issues in addition to problems with treatment. From 1999 to 2008, 50% of hospital-based facilities shut down, 11% of freestanding facilities closed, and 10% of rural facilities shut down. Nursing homes are required to follow a certain standard, and if they cannot, they are at a higher risk of closing down. Nursing homes fail faster with certain factors like poor occupancy, poor recreation options, and poorly constructed physical design, and other failures like poor medical reimbursement, high overhead costs, and breaches of biohazard safety.
You must understand the basics of design for nursing homes for enacting any change. All nursing homes have a fundamental layout, including patient rooms, lobby spaces, staff rooms, public and private bathrooms, and food preparation areas, all with safety at the forefront when building these designs. According to Ritz Flooring, it is beneficial to use effective appliances and technology, high-quality, budget-friendly, economically priced technology, and most importantly to use high quality of care and attention to organizing the building. Investing in cost-effective architecture, including luxury vinyl tiles for smooth and fall-proof and slip-resistant surfaces and stone particle composite for waterproof abilities, will significantly benefit the design of the nursing homes.
Throughout COVID-19, you must examine hygiene with high priority to protect the patients from the virus and enforce a sense of safety and cleanliness when creating the buildings. Establishing a precedent of safety and quality will require work and change, but it is necessary to reaffirm nursing homes as a place of service and care.
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