Transforming a Nurses' Station into a Living Area

I was at our on-site yoga class the other day and Ted Tucker, our Chief Human Resources Officer, shared that he was out in the neighborhoods the evening before and was pleased to see that when he stopped at the West Neighborhood, he found two residents eating their dinners while one nurse was charting in the kitchen. This may not sound like something to get excited about, but it's a small step in creating an environment that feels like home.

Back in January 2009 the renovation and transformation of the West Neighborhood nurses' station into a kitchen, dining and living space for residents was completed. Nurses still do their paperwork here, but now it's a mixed use area for both residents and nurses. Residents have a living area where they can watch TV and relax, and there's a dining area adjacent to the kitchen where they can eat their meals with one another. One of the biggest challenges has been the adjustment of using the same space as a living area for residents and and a work area for nurses.

In moving toward creating a more home-like environment for residents, one of the goals for this Neighborhood is to be able to serve meals family-style instead of on individual trays. While residents are currently encouraged to sit together to eat, a family-style meal would mean that residents could choose what they want to eat and if they want to have seconds. One can imagine that the social interactions that occur around a dining room table may be much more dynamic than those in a cafeteria.