Adaptive reuse of closed malls for dementia programs and services: Community focus group feedback

The double societal hit of dementia and infectious disease outbreaks like COVID-19 have raised a convergence of concerns for the future of care settings for people living with dementia. Images of institutionalized older adults who are quarantined in closed settings have led developers, government agencies, and care administrators to search for innovative options to create more autonomy and quality of life in care settings while protecting the health of residents. This chapter describes the qualitative work being conducted by a Midwestern university research team, laying the groundwork for the conceptual adaptive reuse of an 800,000 square-foot closed mall site for centralized dementia programs, services, housing, and an on-site quarantine and medical center. Focus group outcomes from architects and developers highlighted five principle themes relating to the barriers and benefits of adaptive reuse for this model which include: mixed-use precedents, linking the old with the new, economic factors, development partnerships, and sustainable building practices. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Making the Case for Centralized Dementia Care Through Adaptive Reuse in the Time of COVID-19.

It is estimated that 5.4 million Americans have some form of dementia and these numbers are expected to rise in the coming decades, leading to an unprecedented demand for memory care housing and services. At the same time, infectious disease outbreaks like the COVID-19 pandemic have raised great concerns for the future of care settings for people living with dementia. In searching for innovative options to create more autonomy and better quality of life in dementia care settings, while at the same time improving infectious disease control, repurposing existing structures, in particular vacant urban malls, may be one option for the large sites needed for the European model of dementia villages. This editorial paper makes the case for the Dementia Friendly City Center model for centralized dementia programs, medical services and housing. By working across multiple disciplines, this research team has simultaneously addressed numerous issues, including community revitalization, building sustainability, and the strengthening of infectious disease control in care sites which are inclusive, progressive and convergent with the needs of an aging population.