Theme: The elderly of the future have new needs for their homes
In the coming years, there will be significantly more elderly people – and they will live longer. Therefore, the housing market must be prepared to meet the needs of the elderly in terms of housing. In a new online theme from Troldtekt A/S, you can read about architecture for both resourceful senior citizens and those in need of more care.
In only ten years, there will be around 200,000 more Danes over the age of 65 than today. And if we forward another decade, the total number of +65-year-olds will probably grow by a further 150,000.
In the Market Insights report, the real estate agency EDC Erhverv Poul Erik Bech has previously published the forecast for the number of Danish elderly people. Here, Head of Research Joseph Alberti points out that the development will put pressure on the Danish housing stock:
– Although lots of senior housing projects, small and large, are springing up all over Denmark, the demand seems to be almost insatiable,” he says.
Flexible homes for life
One thing is resourceful elderly people who want to move into active communities with other like-minded people. Something else is the – often older – group that needs more care at home. This is exactly why the Danish OK-Fonden is building flexible homes that make it possible to spend many years in one and the same home.
The 'Housing for Life' concept is flexible senior housing for people who want the opportunity to stay in their own home for the rest of their life. The homes are built in connection with care homes, and residents can use the care home’s communal facilities such as cafés and wellness facilities on a daily basis.
– You can't see from these homes that they can also be converted into assisted-living facilities. They are like ordinary homes, but with certain features," says Ulrik Ahrendt-Jensen, CEO of OK-Fonden, a Danish private non-profit care organisation.
One example is wide doors, where there is also level-free access:
— In this way, homes can also become a workplace for nursing staff for periods of times. But it is simply not visible. For example, there may be hidden steel beams in the ceiling, so that a lift can be installed if necessary.
Community and security
The articles on senior architecture are part of a new online theme from Troldtekt A/S, which produces acoustic solutions for, among other things, senior and care homes. In addition to expert interviews, the theme also presents successful examples of retirement homes that are both cosy, aesthetic, functional – and innovative.
An example of the latter is Sandarna School in Gothenburg, where students share a building and facilities with the city’s service accommodation. What! architecture, which designed the project, has focused on 'a sense of homes' and healthy materials.
The theme also focuses on homes for the elderly with dementia. Here, the Swedish architect, PhD and lecturer in architecture and urban design Jonas E. Andersson said that architecture should support rather than stigmatise.
The Skovparken Care Centre in Ølgod is a good example of this, combining a homely and safe setting with a high degree of functionality that is elegantly integrated into the design. For example, a special rail solution for disabled lifts has been developed for the homes, where the rail system is hidden above the Troldtekt acoustic ceilings.
An acoustic solution for many needs
Troldtekt acoustic panels are a popular choice for ceilings and walls in senior housing, where there are typically many needs to be met. The homes should be calm, comfortable and cosy. But they also need to be healthy to stay in and simple to maintain. This means that building materials must be functional, aesthetic, robust and free from harmful chemicals.
With the Cradle to Cradle gold-certified Troldtekt acoustic panels, it is possible to check all the parameters at once – and at the same time gain freedom to create rooms with a distinctive design.