Addie Abushousheh

For more than two decades, designers, providers, and advocates have promoted household model nursing homes as alternatives to institutional long-term care environments. Yet implementation across the United States remains uneven, with some states advancing household model development while others continue to reinforce traditional institutional configurations. Drawing upon a national multi-phase policy analysis conducted through the Moving Forward Coalition's Financing Household Models & Physical Plant Improvements Workgroup, presenters will explore how often-overlooked policy, financing, regulatory, and planning frameworks influence the feasibility, scalability, and operational realities of household model environments. Using comparative state examples and a Household Model Environmental Taxonomy, the session will translate complex policy and regulatory systems into actionable insights for architects, designers, providers, and development teams. Attendees will gain practical strategies for recognizing how the alignment, or misalignment, of financing structures, licensure pathways, occupancy policies, and emerging planning and design standards can either constrain or accelerate residential, person-centered, and relationship-based care environments. The session will also examine how emerging FGI planning and design standards may create new opportunities for aligning environmental expectations with evolving operational, regulatory, and resident-centered goals across senior living and long-term care settings.

Falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations among older adults—and one of the most significant cost drivers in senior living communities. Yet many of these incidents are preventable through thoughtful, evidence-based design. This dynamic panel discussion will explore how environmental interventions can reduce fall risk while delivering measurable long-term financial returns.  Featuring a multidisciplinary panel—covering senior living development, architecture and designer, senior care operations, and gerontology—this session will present a 360-degree view of injury prevention through design. Panelists will share data-backed insights, project case studies, and economic modeling to demonstrate how investing in smarter interior environments pays off in reduced hospitalizations, improved resident well-being, staff satisfaction, and operational savings.  Whether you’re specifying materials, designing spaces, or managing care outcomes, this session will equip you with the tools to advocate for design decisions that support both safety and financial sustainability.

Senior living market dynamics and consumer expectations are increasingly challenging the status quo for relevance, resilience, and inclusivity. This session presents the latest findings from the SAGE/AIA Design for Aging Joint Intergenerational Task Force (IGTF), now in its third year of advancing knowledge at the intersection of aging, design, and intergenerational engagement. Building on a multi-wave Delphi survey, an expert charrette workshop, and the development of an intergenerational roadmap, this session reveals new insights and real-world applications from diverse stakeholders care providers, developers, designers, and residents. Presenters will share strategic frameworks, practical tools, and case study examples that highlight how intergenerational initiatives can unlock innovation, strengthen community identity, and create long-term value across generations. Whether you're designing, developing, or operating senior living environments, this session will equip you with actionable strategies to differentiate offerings, enhance engagement, and meet the growing demand for meaningful multigenerational connections. Join us to explore what's next in intergenerational design, and how your projects can lead the way in creating vibrant, future-ready communities.

As residents living with dementia enter senior living communities with increasingly complex cognitive and physical needs, designers and operators face a growing challenge: creating environments that support movement, engagement, and independence while minimizing the consequences of falls and other adverse events. This session explores how the built environment influences resident behavior, mobility, confidence, and quality of life in memory care settings. Through the combined perspectives of design, operations, clinical care, and development, panelists will examine how environmental decisions - from circulation patterns and sensory cues to flooring systems and neighborhood organization - shape both resident outcomes and operational performance. The discussion will highlight practical strategies for new construction and renovation projects, including ways to support purposeful movement, reduce environmental stressors, improve staff oversight, and create spaces that help residents remain active and engaged longer. Real-world examples and emerging research will demonstrate how thoughtful design decisions can positively impact resident well-being, staff effectiveness, family satisfaction, and fall-related outcomes. Participants will leave with actionable insights they can apply to future memory care projects regardless of budget, project scope, or care model.

Exciting changes await users of the Facility Guidelines Institute library of documents. Introducing the 2026 FGI Code for Planning and Design of Residential Care and Support Settings and its complementary FGI Handbook. These new and improved documents expand the capabilities and resources available to FGI users through enhanced online interface options and additional explanatory guideline options. The FGI Residential Code provides baseline requirements for the design and construction of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospice facilities, independent living settings, adult daycare facilities and wellness centers. The companion FGI Handbook offers explanatory guidance of the code and additional best practices information to supplement the code minimum requirements. Revisions to the 2026 document to be discussed include an added table outlining building typologies, added resident room size and capacity requirements; revised laundry requirements; clarity of the application of requirements for household models; clarity on dining space requirements; the addition of requirements for facilities serving individuals of size; the addition of dialysis requirements; and the addition of a chapter specific to residential mental and behavioral health facilities. Learn about these changes, how they affect the design and construction of residential care facilities and how you can contribute to the 2030 revision cycle.