Housing Options for Physically and
Mentally Frail Older People that Promote Independence

By Victor Regnier, FAIA

In the next 30-50 years the demographic profile of the US and the World will change radically as life expectancy grows and fertility contracts pushing the average age higher. Beyond the economic impacts this has on productivity and economic growth, it also has a major impact on humanity. While countries in northern Europe have developed community-based alternatives to combine independent housing and services, the US has continued to promote institutional models. This exhibit explores through various design approaches three housing and service hybrid models that provide support to the mentally and physically frail in an independent non-institutional fashion. This exhibit displays work from Professor Victor Regnier's latest book on more humane alternatives to institutionalizing mentally and physically frail older people.