by "OPPOsaurus WRX" (opposaurus)
Published 04/07/2017 at 09:57
by "OPPOsaurus WRX" (opposaurus)
Published 04/07/2017 at 09:57
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My office has been hired to design a rehab / co-op living house for a group who assists people with brain injuries. Despite my wife saying I have brain damage, I don’t really know much about it, specifically when it comes to daily life and how architecture affects it. My boss is doing a lot of research but I figured I could probably WOW him with some good info. this house will be a 5 bedroom (I think withg a live-in nurse) I imagine some people on here would know people with brain injuries whether its friends or relatives. What aspects of the design of this house could help people with brain injuries have an easier daily life?
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
04/07/2017 at 10:03, STARS: 0
I don’t know specifically, but there must be a building code or even federal guidelines out there. There are probably groups out there who work with people who have brain injuries who could help, or at least tell you what they’d like to have in such a house.
"Urambo Tauro" (urambotauro)
04/07/2017 at 10:09, STARS: 1
I don’t have much experience with TBI, but the first thing that comes to mind is wheelchair accommodations. Maybe make the hallways and doorways a little wider, the bathrooms a lot roomier, and see if the property needs ramps.
"Rico" (ricorich)
04/07/2017 at 10:10, STARS: 0
I think it depends on what kind of brain injuries, that’s a broad category.
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
04/07/2017 at 10:13, STARS: 2
I’m guessing that avoiding anything that could confound sense of direction is a good idea, and if possible, avoid things that could cause vertigo. In other words, avoid staircases that turn someone around overmuch (parallel stairs would be better, if any), avoid balconies and overhangs, long staircases, long halls, and avoid walls and elements at angles other than ninety degrees.
If someone is having other issues than dizziness, vertigo, forgetfulness, and poor depth perception, then you could go to the fine details - like making all doors swing the same direction with simplified hardware, use of colors to prevent people getting confused between different rooms, design of suites to avoid injury in a fall, that sort of thing.
"OPPOsaurus WRX" (opposaurus)
04/07/2017 at 10:16, STARS: 1
yea i tried pushing for more definition but he started getting a little snippy. hes a bit stressed out.
"OPPOsaurus WRX" (opposaurus)
04/07/2017 at 10:17, STARS: 0
all that is already in there. Its being designed to be fully accessible for wheelchairs. Its going to be slab-on-grade to get wheels chairs in and out easily
"OPPOsaurus WRX" (opposaurus)
04/07/2017 at 10:20, STARS: 0
as far as code goes, we’re design to ADA guidelines for wheelchair accessibility. I was thinking more of the creative aspects of it like what RamblinRover pointed out that overhangs could increase the effects of vertigo
"Urambo Tauro" (urambotauro)
04/07/2017 at 10:25, STARS: 0
Haha, yeah I figured that was gonna be obvious. I really don’t have any other ideas, but I like what Ramblin had to say.
"Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo" (akioohtori)
04/07/2017 at 10:38, STARS: 1
I would do a little research into cohousing . It is/ was really big recently and the concepts might be very adaptable to this situation. The execution varies, but my understanding of the idea is a community where-in everyone has their own private residence but with shared common area(s), like a very large community kitchen and dining area. The idea being you are basically living in a dorm but also in a house and get to have the best of both worlds.
Seems like for people with brain injuries this could be adapted pretty easily with the addition of a on-site 24/7 nurse, automated wellness checks (as much as I hate the #internetofshit this is a good application) while benefiting from the tight community setting and semi-shared resources.
"Pixel" (Improbcat)
04/07/2017 at 10:42, STARS: 0
Some google results:
http://www.brainline.org/content/2014/01/designing-houses-for-people-with-brain-injury.html
https://nora.cc/images/REFERENCES_articles_for_professional_page_NORA.doc5.pdf
"Rico" (ricorich)
04/07/2017 at 10:42, STARS: 0
I understand. Yeah I mean brain injuries can range from impaired motor skills, speech issues, memory issues, etc.
"OPPOsaurus WRX" (opposaurus)
04/07/2017 at 10:45, STARS: 0
I had just sent that link to my boss and he has the PDF printed out on his desk.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
04/07/2017 at 10:57, STARS: 0
Gotcha. That’s where you might reach out to rehab centers, hospitals, or existing homes where injured people live. Maybe reach out to the NFL. (snark)
"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
04/07/2017 at 10:58, STARS: 0
Wayfinding may be important. While in the hospital, it was difficult to identify my mom’s room since the only distinguishing feature was the room number.
Design elements to make each room unique (including color, signage, easy-to-identify shapes, etc.) could be important. Don’t forget to make these elements spill into the hallway so residents can easily identify their own room.
One of the more embarrassing things for my mom was the door placement and the lack of privacy. Hospital employees have little regard for privacy and were constantly opening the door without waiting for a response from the person inside. At least once a day a passerby got more than an eyeful because someone opened the door at the wrong time.
You might consider railings in the hallway for those who have balance issues.
Space for a bed and seating for a couple of people could be handy. The hospital had space for one chair. We made sure the room we moved my mom to had plenty of seating that could fold away (camp chairs!) when not in use.
Flooring should be easy to clean AND NOT SLICK. I nearly busted my ass several times because of minor spills while we were at the hospital.
Depending on how independent the residents are, sinks and perhaps enough counter space for a kettle would be handy. Make the sinks deep enough or the faucets high enough to fill a kettle.
Counter space was non-existent in the hospital. We made up for that with three tables and a built-in cabinet at her new room.
Cleanliness is a priority. It would have been nice to have more built-in dispensers for paper towels, soap, and gloves. All our supplies took up precious counter space.
Electrical outlets with built-in USB chargers are fantastic.
Plan for garbage. We had two large cans which were filled almost daily.
Plan for linens and other washables. Make it easy for residents/helpers to deal with dirty laundry.
That’s about all I can think of for now.
"Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz)" (galileo-humpkins)
04/07/2017 at 11:57, STARS: 0
I feel like it’s hard to say without knowing what the situation of the residents will be. As in, building for a family of 5 where you know what physical handicaps a kid has, you can customize aspects of the house to him/her, even putting in custom things to help their therapy, or what have you. When it’s a situation like this where they will have different residents over the years, feels a little difficult to pick a whole lot of customization, though I’d imagine there are some that are fairly blanket and would apply to most everyone. Good luck.
"merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc" (merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc)
04/07/2017 at 13:51, STARS: 0
I know you have to have smooth floor transitions. As in going from a tile floor to carpet or vinyl, it has to be dead smooth or the folks can get stuck on it. No thresholds. We had to use schluter strips in lieu of threasholds for the Nuero rooms in a hospital addition we built some years back.
"MyJeepGetsStuckInTheSnow" (myjeepgetsstuckinthesnow)
04/07/2017 at 14:52, STARS: 0
Go talk to an occupational therapist with a CBIS (certified brain injury specialist) certification. They help people who have traumatic brain injury adapt to everyday life again. It will be a huge help for you. Source: my wife is an occupational therapist with CBIS.