CHERRY HILL MEMORY CARE

CHERRY HILL , NJ

Cherry Hill Memory Care is a specialized assisted living facility designed to address residents’ memory care needs. The floor plan is organized into “neighborhoods,” each containing 16 residents. Neighborhoods ring around an interior courtyard, with no dead ends, providing safe and secure access to outdoor space and fresh air. This layout coincides with current evidence-based design research in optimizing the emotional and physical well-being of residents with dementia and other memory care needs. Empirical studies have demonstrated that access to natural environments results in lower instances of anxiety, anger, fatigue, confusion and total mood disturbance (Browning, Ryan & Clancy, 2014) while also encouraging exercise and organic interactions with staff and other residents.

 

“Life Skill” stations are placed along the corridors, offering residents the opportunity to perform tasks that promote and strengthen cognitive abilities. Each neighborhood shares common amenities, including a beauty salon, movie theater, library, ice cream parlor, aviary, physical therapy room, and bistro kitchen. These stations create points of destination that intuitively encourage resident engagement and sense of purpose. The kitchens display all food options, allowing residents to view and choose their own meals. This style of resident-driven, integrated food delivery has been shown to increase residents’ appetite and improve overall nutrition. The scale of the overall building was also carefully considered and was specifically designed to create a residential and inviting presence for staff and visiting family and friends. This project was executed in close collaboration with a development team in order to deliver state of the art care on an aggressive cost per square foot basis.