There is an increasing demand on all of our resources to accommodate and sustain our aging population. This demand requires facilities for the elderly that are sensitive to the needs of those living and working in that environment. AIA Design for Aging just completed a two-year investigative post occupancy evaluation of 20 leading-edge facilities in the United States and Scandinavia, resulting in a detailed publication. This presentation will present the results of that initiative.

   Learning objectives:

• Review the results of post occupancy evaluations (POE) of innovative communities and how each design responded to themes of creating community, environmental therapy, quality of workplace, sustainability, and urban reintegration
• Analyze the implications of POE results on fulfilling quality improvement initiatives for community involvement, human resource development, and leading-edge care and services
• Discuss design innovations that are both successful and not unsuccessful and participate in an interactive discussion in assessing which innovative approaches offer the best opportunities for cost-effective improvement in resident and community quality of life