Concept and Goals

Soul Hospice Center located in Jackson, Mississippi will provide a welcoming and engaging environment for its residents to help with end of life care. Through the use of design, I will create an environment that not only supports their physical needs but also engages mental and emotional needs as well. I plan on focusing on bringing the hospitality aesthetic in my design to create an experience that is almost like a retreat. Elements such as high ceilings and high-end finishes will provide a sense of grandeur. A relatively neutral palette with blue and gold accents on opposite sides of the building will combat the symmetrical floor plan, in turn helping residents with wayfinding. Soul will strive to create a sense of community in order to prevent loneliness and depression through its patients and family with the help of common activity areas such as a seating lounge, a community kitchen, and an outdoor lounge area. Soul aspires to provide its residents a place to call “home” while slowing the progression of their disease through daily activity and socialization.

RESEARCH DESIGN GOALS

When I hear the term ‘hospice’ getting thrown around, I must admit the word is quite foreign to me. Hospice is not something that we discuss every day on a regular base, and it is not something that everyone is aware of or know of its purpose. So, what is a Hospice and why is it needed? A hospice is a program designed to provide palliative care and emotional support to the terminally ill in a home or homelike setting so that quality of life is maintained, and family members may be active participants in care (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). Hospice is for all people living with an end-stage disease and people who no longer wish for treatment directed to curing their disease.

Early hospices should not be confused with their modern versions, however, as the concept of taking in and caring for the dying was not the original intent. During medieval times, the concept of hospice was adopted by the Roman Catholic tradition as a place where travelers could rest and be cared for by their hosts. It later became a place where nuns would care for the sick and the dying in the late 19th century. It was said that one of the first believed hospices was established by the Crusades which lead to a short lived widespread of hospices in the Middle Ages. Hospitals have for decades provided birthing rooms that can be advertised as happy places to deliver one’s children, but it cannot advertise that it is a good place to die (Thomas W. Laqueur). During the 19th century, hospitals underwent a transformation from traditional charitable institutions that provided “a place to be sick and die” to modern medical institutions that offered “a place to live and get well” (Jeanne Kisacky). The modern usage of hospice as a place for and philosophy of end-of-life care began with the work of a British physician named Dame Cicely Saunders. Dr. Saunders who during a talk at Yale University in the US in 1963 introduced the idea of specialized care for the dying to an audience of doctors, nurses, chaplains, and medical students, which centered on palliative care rather than treatments to cure.

Hospice is alternative to extended medical or curative treatments as those can become torture. When medicine becomes powerless and a cure is no longer a real possibility, the primary goal is to control pain and other symptoms so the patient can remain as alert and comfortable as possible. Hospice stresses the importance of the quality of life for those with terminal illnesses and their families. A hospice focuses on and treats the person, not the disease. Hospice also help patients come to terms with the reality of the situation so when the time come their families and them will be ready. Hospice care is about improving mental health and helping the patient experience meaningful social interactions, among a range of other possible services. At the center of hospice and palliative care is the belief that each of us has the right to die pain-free and with dignity, and that our families will receive the necessary support to allow us to do so. We must first know that death is often not painful. “the approach of actual death produces a sensation similar to that of falling asleep” (John Ferriar). Fear and apprehension are as much the cause of suffering as physiology and with the help of hospices these can be quieted.

Designing a hospice is trying to connect with what the patient needs and what they want to dye graceful. It’s also a way to improve the end of life care for everyone when how one dies is not really important to all. It also reminds us that it is part of the cycle of life. To create a space that promotes and encourages healthy living. I plan on doing this by designing a outdoor area that introduces fresh air and natural sunlight.

To create a space that is accessible to those of all ages, sizes and disabilities. I plan on doing this through using ADA guidelines to ensure they space is up to code.

To create a space that well executed way finding. A space that is easy to read with the use of color, landmarks, water features for sound, food kiosk for smell.

To create a space that conveys a Luxury Hotel Aesthetic with the use of High-end finishes and elaborate detailing in walls and ceiling that is equally pleasing and comfortable.

To create a space that establishes a sense of community by creating social areas and bring in community events.