Rehab Centers and Nursing Homes: 5 Modern Trends

The myths surrounding care centers and nursing homes have led to some pretty dismal perspectives on the care industry – and an expectation of boring, stifling and potentially unhealthy centers that may even do more harm than good. Today’s rehab centers and nursing homes work hard to dispel such myths with the latest in facility design and medical care. Here are a few of the modern trends changing how people think about care centers forever.

The Neighborhood Model

Previous homes and rehab centers often suffered from the hotel syndrome. They tended to focus on long hallways, small rooms, and formal dining situations. It was great for efficiency, but not very warm and it sometimes felt confusing or depressing. However, this has changed with modern establishments that follow a neighborhood model, which focuses on multiple buildings, home-like settings, and locations that are much easier for seniors to navigate. It turns out that changes in design and architecture can change quite a lot.

More Privacy

Privacy has always been an issue for people rehab centers and homes. As any college student could have told you, private bedrooms, facilities, and bathrooms are excellent for independence and comfort—and it’s doubly true for those recovering in rehab centers or living in nursing homes. Today’s nursing homes have plenty of privacy in the form of private amenities of all kinds, from the now common private bathrooms to private gardens, patios and even reading nooks.

Nursing Home Specialists

A new breed of doctors has risen in the realm of rehab centers and homes: They are referred to as SNFists, nursing home-physicians, or long-term care specialists. All the different titles refer to basically the same thing: A need for physicians that specialize in medical treatments and advice that are in high demand at nursing homes. Instead of visiting in, these physicians often have permanent clinics located at the centers and have regular meetings with patients. They are experts in rehabilitation and treating emerging conditions for seniors, which in turns provides a much higher level of care.

A Focus on Physical Therapy

For years nursing homes were not seen as places where people improved their lives, got better, and eventually left. The rising of rehab centers and more advanced medical solutions has helped to reinvent this concept. Now physical therapy has taken a center focus as rehabilitation services increase. Gyms, training facilities, and physical therapy all help those staying at the centers to improve coordination and recover from injuries with an eye on ultimately increasing independence. This has increased the number of patients who are able to make their own decisions regarding living arrangements.

Newer, Better Materials

It seems strange to talk about nursing home materials like paint and carpet, but they have an enormous effect on mood and the options for these common materials have recently seen a significant increase. In the past these materials were chosen primarily for their insulation qualities, fireproofing, and ease-of-cleaning, which made rehab centers pretty drab places. Now new materials are making more attractive, comfortable materials possibly. Vinyl is being replaced by carpet, wall coverings are adding new elegance to rooms, and more effective equipment is allowing facilities to prepare better, faster meals.