Working with seniors is an act of love. They are our parents and grandparents, our teachers and neighbours, the people who raised us, loved us and took care of us. And now they need us to do the same for them. If you are an operator of a long-term care facility, having a passion for the well-being of your residents is part of the job. With every decision, you hope to improve the lives and living conditions of the people in your care.

From my personal perspective, I have seen five of my closest family members move into assisted living, retirement residences and long term care facilities. I have spent time inside the buildings, as both an architect and a family member. I see how design decisions have affected my loved ones throughout the generations. Today, I’d like to share my personal story about why these facilities are so important to me, and why I put my heart and soul into every project I work on.

Visiting Nana Jordan

My sister Lynne, Nana, and me, Bob Murphy.

My great-grandmother was a firecracker. She was a concert pianist and she and my great-grandfather ran a successful music school in London, Ontario. She ruled the family cottage each summer, even swimming across the lake every morning to get the newspaper. We still tell stories about her adventures to our grandchildren.

When she was in her early eighties, she fell and broke her hip, rendering her bedridden. She had been widowed decades earlier and her only option was to go into Preston Springs Gardens, a spooky, old, converted hotel in Galt, Ontario. It was the early 1960’s and long term care was not like it is today. The building itself was dark and cramped, so my sister and I chose to play in the solarium where we could read old Life magazines.

We visited Nana nearly every weekend, and while my parents sat with her, my sister and I would run up and down the mansion hallways. I have fond memories of throwing bits of bread to feed the goldfish in the pond behind the building.

Even as a young boy, I understood that Preston Springs Gardens enhanced Nana’s life. She was well taken care of, and though the building itself wasn’t ideal, it became her home, and our home away from home.

Now as an architect, when asked to design any sort of Seniors Housing facility, I jump at the opportunity to improve on where my Nana lived. 

Grandpa Beattie benefitting from my designs

My grandfather was happy and able to live on his own until his later years. In 1990, at the age of 90, he became the first resident in a new retirement home that I had designed in Ancaster, Ontario. He was quite the gentleman and became the de facto “Meeter and Greeter” of the facility.  

Carrington Place was brand new when Grandpa moved in. The gardens were freshly planted, new sod was laid, the resident’s rooms were pristine and it was bright and open. We celebrated Grandpa’s 91st birthday there with the entire family, and we took lots of photographs to remember the day.

Having access to the building as a visitor, I was able to see how my design decisions impacted the lives of residents. Wide hallways to accommodate strollers or wheelchairs, open common spaces for dining and activities, cozy rooms where residents could set up their personal items and feel at home. It was all important. I saw things from both perspectives: architect and visiting family member. I also had the benefit of Grandpa’s strong opinions about how things were done and what needed improvement.

Caring for my mother-in-law

My mother-in-law was incredibly proud and independent. She never wanted to burden anyone, but after sustaining a head injury in her 80’s, she needed help with taking her medication. The opportunity to have a personal support worker assist her with meals and cleaning drew us to move her to a Senior Link Supportive Living Apartment in East Toronto. She had her own one-bedroom apartment with a full kitchen and living room, full of her furniture and personal items, and for several years, it served her well to have support as needed, but to otherwise live independently.

As her needs changed, we made the difficult decision to move her into Long Term Care at Chester Village in Toronto. Her room there was smaller and her personal items fewer, but she had the care she needed in the communal dining room and with assistance from compassionate nursing staff to help with dressing and bathing.

Chester Village was newly built to Ministry standards and light streamed in from huge windows on all sides of the irregularly shaped building. It was fully accessible and well thought-out with separate wings for Memory Care.

It’s never easy to visit family members in long term care facilities, watching as they lose the ability to care for themselves. But there is a great comfort in knowing that they are safe and well taken care of by staff who are fully equipped to provide everything they need to live life to the fullest.

From the viewpoint of my wife, Bev

My wife, Bev, has helped many families make difficult choices about the future care of their loved ones. As a certified Gerontologist, and as a daughter who put her mother into long term care, her clinical knowledge and hands-on experience have helped families evaluate their options. For years Bev was a Marketing Rep for Revera Glynwood in Thornhill, Ontario.

She knows putting a loved one into care is a very difficult decision. Once a spot is available, the person has to agree to accept it, and this is not always easy, especially for seniors who don’t think they need help, or don’t want to lose their independence.

“My mom, fortunately for me, was a good sport. Luckily she knew that I was trying to do the best for her.”

— Bev Murphy

Mom and Dad

My parents have been married for nearly 70 years. They are well into their 90’s and have always been very active and health-conscious. They were part of an early-morning walking group, involved in the church and members of their local golf club. They have always had each other and were happily independent in their condo in Etobicoke until my father suffered a stroke and my mother fell and broke her hip, while visiting him at the hospital. That’s when we realized they needed more care and living in their condo was no longer an option.

We moved them to an independent living facility closer to us, where they had a nice one-bedroom apartment with a kitchen and living room. Their windows looked out to a forested ravine where they often spotted deer. There were bus tours to Niagara Falls, daily activities, as well as a very popular pub hour where they would gather with their friends for a drink or two before dinner. This arrangement worked well until they both developed cognitive challenges.

Now they are in Assisted Living at Revera Leaside where caring nurses and personal support workers assist them with all aspects of daily life. I visit them every Sunday and I am grateful that they are safe and well cared for.

Through years of experience, I understand the difference between designing in theory versus seeing the results actually come to life in bricks and mortar buildings. Even small changes can really make a difference to the service and care that is provided. And we all want the best care for those we love.

Designing Long Term Care facilities with my heart and soul

For over 60 years, I’ve visited close family in senior care living environments. I have personal insight into how these spaces impact the lives of our elders — for better and for worse.

As an operator of a Retirement or Long Term Care facility, you know that each decision you make can have a huge effect on the lives of the residents. By considering the needs of your staff as well as the seniors in the facility, investing in design can give you a great return on the well-being of everyone.

If you are ready to enhance your LTC facility and make a difference in the lives of the staff, the visiting families and especially the residents, contact Murphy Partners. We can help.

Murphy Partners Seniors Housing Architects

Tel. 416 996-3909

bob@murphypartners.ca

murphypartners.ca