Technological Institute of the Philippines - Quezon City

938 Aurora Blvd, Cuba, Quezon City, Metro Manila

Research Methods for Architecture

Project Design Study Draft

A Proposed Mixed-Use Retirement and Nursing Home: A Senior Citizen-Friendly

Development in Barangay Cutcut, Angeles City, Pampanga

Submitted by: Angelica Mae B. Hofileña

AR 491-ARC41S1

Submitted to: Ar. Jayann Juliet Rosilio

21 September 2022
 PROJECT BACKGROUND

The Project

The population of senior citizens is on the rise. The Commission on Population and
Development or Popcom, had a statement regarding the percentage of Filipino elderly. The data
came from Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) which states that in the year 2020, the senior
citizen population has expanded to 8.5 percent from 5.9 percent in 2000 which was two
decades ago. Filipinos who are aged 60 and above now have a total of 9.4 million and it is
estimated that about 90 percent of them are not given sufficient care. It is estimated that the
population of senior citizens may rise up to 23 million in the year 2050. Specifically in
Pampanga, there are approximately 126,837 Filipinos who are aged 65 and above and are
considered an old-dependent population based on the latest population census in 2015.

There are senior citizens who don’t have someone to look after them nor they can solely
take care of themselves anymore. They might be living alone, ill, or has a disability. Filipinos are
known to be family-oriented. and the norm of elderly care in the Philippines is that the elderly
stays with their family members. However, the case for many other senior citizens is not
privileged. Aside from that, there are senior citizens who are unfortunate enough to have a
home. To accommodate the rise in their population, the researcher proposes a mixed-use
nursing home and retirement home complex in Barangay Cutcut in Angeles City, Pampanga
called Daffodil Haven. The nursing and retirement home is named after a flower that symbolizes
new beginnings and haven which means a place of safety.

The said development will be situated in a politically independent city and claims to be
the 1st class highly urbanized city in the Province of Pampanga. While the city is highly
urbanized, the chosen location is still surrounded by greeneries. This is ideal for senior citizens
who want to retire and reside in a region like Metro Manila, but less populated and polluted. The
city also offers a variety of leisure activities that senior citizens may enjoy. It is adjacent to the
Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone. A metropolis that offers a wide spectrum of
activities and interests for the people such as hotels, resorts, and golf clubs.
 Apart from that, there are shopping malls, parks, and numerous restaurants and coffee
shops to try out in Angeles City such as along the Fil-Am Friendship Highway, Manuel A. Roxas
Highway, and in Korea Town Angeles to name a few. According to the 2020 Census, the
population of Angeles City was 462, 928. The site location is ideal because it is located in a city
that offers different modes of transportation, locally and globally. It has numerous bus terminals
and is near an international airport which makes it easy for the citizens to travel.

To define, a retirement home is defined as a place for senior citizens who require little to
no help in accomplishing everyday tasks and could have few medical needs. While a nursing
home is a place that accommodates older adults who are in need of partial to complete
assistance with daily tasks or those who are ill and requires full-time medical and nursing care.

Project Objectives

The Project aims to provide a place of refuge in a sustainable environment for senior
citizens who no longer lives with their families. The project aims to improve its occupants’
quality of life by building an environment that is pedestrian friendly and offers a variety of leisure
activities and mixed uses that the users may freely utilize and enjoy. It aims to provide the
utmost care, convenience, accessibility, and opportunities for senior citizens; an environment
wherein the occupants wouldn’t feel neglected and threatened to roam around. Instead, the
environment of the development aims to make them feel loved, prioritized, and well-taken care
of. It is going to be a net-zero development to ensure the health of the occupants and to lessen
the ecological footprint of the area.

Project Scope and Limitations

The project is a mixed-use development that contains a nursing and retirement home
compound for senior citizens that has commercial spaces inside. The retirement and nursing
home will provide activities and opportunities that are only suitable for senior citizens. The same
goes for commercial spaces that will be established in the development. It will only include retail
and services that accommodate the senior citizen's interests. It is a kind of development where
the senior citizens wouldn’t feel left out by society and lonely.
 DESIGN INPUTS

Design Standards and Pertinent Laws

The Project will be designed in accordance with Presidential Decree (P.D.) No. 1096 or
the Republic Act (R.A.) No. 7876; An Act establishing a senior citizen center in all cities and
municipalities of the Philippines, and appropriating funds and municipalities. The project will also
adhere to the Batas Pambansa blg. 344 - Accessibility Law and Its Implementing Rules and
Regulations. An Act to enhance the mobility of disabled persons by requiring certain buildings,
institutions, establishments, and public utilities to install facilities and other devices, Republic Act
(R.A.) No. 7432 known as the Senior Citizen Act of 1991 or An Act to Maximize the Contribution
of Senior Citizens to Nation-Building, Grant Benefits and Special Privileges and for Other
Purposes as well as its succeeding acts.

A hospital and other health facilities shall be planned and designed to observe
appropriate architectural practices, to meet prescribed functional programs, and to
conform to applicable codes as part of normal professional practice. References shall be
made to the following:
● P.D. 1096 - National Building Code of the Philippines and Its
Implementing Rules and Regulations
● P.D. 1185 Firecode of the Philippines and Its Implementing Rules and
Regulations
● P.D. 856 - Code of Sanitation of the Philippines and Its Implementing
Rules and Regulations
● Republic act 1378 - National Plumbing Code of the Philippines and Its
Implementing Rules and Regulations
● Republic Act 184 - Philippine Electrical Code

Review of Related Case Studies

This part of the project design study presents a series of case studies regarding
nursing homes and retirement homes. There are studies from Western countries, other
Asian countries, and lastly in the Philippine setting. It enables both the researcher and
the readers to gain knowledge regarding this matter and to understand its relevance to
the project design study topic and objectives.

A. Nursing home resident quality of life

According to the Centre on Aging (2015), the findings of the case study
aim to answer the question, what supports residents' quality of life? In relation to
design, home-likeliness is one of their findings. Having private rooms encourages
more intimate visits from their family members. Some features that enhance
home-likeliness in a care facility are personalized decor, kitchen, and shared
household living room. The physical design of the nursing home contributes to
how the family members perceive its home-likeliness. Consequently, this also
adds up to whether the residents felt at home in the care facility. It establishes
comfort and helps them connect more and generate a good relationship with their
family members and staff. Also, limited opportunities for physical activities lead to
the inactivity of the residents.

B. Social participation in Long-term residential care

The following case studies are from Canada, Norway, and Germany. The
social participation and meaningful engagement of the residents are alleviated
through the home location, physical spaces within the home, adequate staffing
levels, and a care philosophy that prioritizes the resident's quality of life.
Consequently, the stated conditions will have a positive influence on the
residents’ everyday life in the nursing home. Optimal locations enable
accessibility and connectedness to other locations and age groups. Spaces that
are large enough to accommodate the mobility aid of the resident are the ideal
physical spaces inside the nursing home. Thus, allowing freedom of movement
for the residents. According to Lowndes et al. (2020), providing proper working
conditions along with managerial support for social care, and sufficient number of
staff enables the residents to build relationships through creating meaningful
interactions with other residents. Providing a variety of activities in the care
facility gives the residents the freedom to choose when they want to participate is
also an essential factor since it improves the health and well-being of the
 residents. However, due to the size of the international study, delving deeper
into each topic area became limited.

C. A case study of a United Kingdom care home

The case study is about the impact of building design on the quality of life
for people with dementia in the United Kingdom. A wide range of factors must be
taken into consideration concerning the. building designs for people with
dementia to give residents and their visiting family members a safe and habitable
living space. Additionally, this living area needs to be functional and give the staff
a comfortable workspace. Thus, a suitable balance between these two
requirements must be achieved. Altering solutions are usually required to fit the
individual’s level of dementia. Access to nature, assistance in wayfinding,
orientation, and navigation, and a safe environment are the three prominent
areas that are stated by the study participants. According to Gharaveis (2020),
design interventions can boost physical functioning inside and outside of a long-
term residential facility. Thus, elderly people may engage in more physical
activities if there are opportunities for walkable spaces and reduced physical
barriers. Based on the result of the research, this systematic review reveals the
design techniques to increase the level of physical activity among the senior
citizen population. The study emphasizes that the overall structure of the space
and accessibility to outdoor walkable spaces were achieved which generally
encourages moderate levels of physical activity in the elderly population.

D. A case study of a nursing home in Nagano, Japan

The case study is about an air-conditioned nursing home in Nagano

Japan. The researchers conducted a field survey study on thermal comfort for
the elderly and building energy simulations for future climate change. The said
case study claims to be beneficial for a wide range of stakeholders such as
managers or designers of nursing homes. Most of the occupants stay indoors
With the climate conditions in Japan, especially during the winter and summer
seasons, maintaining thermal comfort for vulnerable individuals is crucial. It is
included in the related findings of the case study that there are health risks in
 indoor environments such as heat stroke and cardiovascular diseases. Kainaga
et al. (2022), concluded that the window conditions with the lowest U-value and
SHGC reduced the total annual heat load the most. And emphasizes the need to
change the solar radiation shielding of windows between heating and cooling
periods. Also, the arrangement of spaces can be a source of solar heat gain. For
instance, the nursing home has a multi-story parking space located on the south
side of the development. The researchers concluded that it may have a certain
effect on the solar heat gain in the building. The effect of solar heat gain due to
three-dimensional shielding is not considered in relation to the building
simulations in this study. Also, there is only one staff member who participated in
this study which is insufficient to analyze the thermal comfort regarding individual
differences among the subjects.

E. A retirement village in the Philippines

This is a case study that aims to establish a retirement home for elderly
LGBT citizens. According to ShirinManila (2018), the Lotuswell development is
mentioned in the study and is claimed to be the best example of the development
and planning of a retirement village. It is a Swiss-owned retirement village in Hua
Hin, Thailand. It is a gated integrated retirement community. It has a total of
32,000 square meters and is divided into residential and public areas. The area
of the bungalow houses in the village is 106 square meters and 150 square
meters. It has facilities for relaxation and recreation for its residents such as each
bungalow having direct access to the 1500 square meter pool. It also has a
massage and beauty center, laundry services, maintenance and engineering,
grocery, two restaurants, two bars, a fitness center for yoga and aerobics, cardio
machines, and a medical center that is 24 ambulant.

F. International retirement in Tagaytay City, Philippines

Tagaytay City is perceived as an ideal retirement location because the

city has features that validate the retiree's conditions in looking for a retirement
location. To name a few of its features, the city has high elevation and is not a
flood-prone area, offers comfortable levels of temperature and humidity, and is in
proximity to major transportation. According to Daez (2019), the findings of the
 case study state that the national government, local government, government
agency, and private sector are deemed lacking in a systematic and unified vision
to mandate the promotion of the Philippines as an ideal retirement destination for
international retirees. It does not generate a local business climate. Thus,
encouraging the private sector to invest in the industry. Establishing an
agreement and coordination among the facilitators and institutions in coming up
with a strategy for developing the retirement and elderly care industry if it aims to
be pursued in the long run. Also, a care facility should be a workplace that offers
opportunities for nurses and caregivers and not a training facility before they
work in other countries. Perhaps the research could have included other age
cohorts to differentiate their perspective and experiences from the ones who are
just starting off in their career.

Review of Pertinent Laws and Regulations

A. According to Section 5 of Republic Act No. 9994 under government

assistance, (g) Incentive for Foster Care,

“The government shall provide incentives to individuals or nongovernmental

institution caring for or establishing homes, residential communities or retirement
villages solely for, senior citizens, as follows: “(1) realty tax holiday for the first
five (years) starting from the first year of operation; and “(2) priority in the
construction for maintenance of provincial or municipal roads leading to the
aforesaid home, residential community or retirement village.”

B. According to the Republic of the Philippines, Department of Social Welfare

and Development, Administrative Order No. 04 Series of 2010

VII. General Implementing Procedures, B. Implementation Phase, 3. Provision of

Intervention/Social Services

Based on the helping plan, the sick/frail, the bedridden senior citizen shall be
provided with the following interventions as needed per assessment;
 a) Home Care - which includes the following activities provided in the
residence of the senior citizen:
i. Personal care - assistance in personal hygiene, changing bed sheet,
wound care, and assistance in eating
ii. Nutrition - demonstration of meal preparation, delivering food, feeding
as needed, and planning meals
iii. Health - assistance with self-administered medications, exercise and
Mobility caring for the incontinent
iv. Psycho-social aspect of caregiving - provision of regular breaks
through
respite care, stress management, provision of a listening ear, social and
emotional support

b) Respite Services - the provision of relief to the family carer

from the demands of their roles as carers by providing
temporary care and support services in caring of the senior
citizens. This is one way of helping the family carer cope with
the demands associated with providing care to their senior
citizen member.

c) Physical Fitness Program - this will be introduced in the

the community at least once a week in coordination with the existing
federation of senior citizens.
This is one of the preventive aspects in caregiving, which is
designed specifically for senior citizens. The program aims to
keep them physically fit to be able to carry out day-to-day
activity without undue fatigue and avoid stress thus, improving
their quality of life and becoming productive members of our
society. A monthly report on the physical fitness program for
senior citizens with disabilities shall be prepared.

d) Kinship care - encourage the kin or relatives of the sick/frail / weak /bedridden
senior citizen who has no place to stay to take care of them.
 e) Palliative Care - services designed to provide relief of symptoms that interfere
with the quality of life when treatments given do not respond to the illness. affirms
life and regards dying as a normal process; integrates the psychological and
spiritual aspects of care; offers a support system to help the family cope during
the senior citizen's illness and their own bereavement; and uses a team
approach to address the needs of the senior citizens and their families including
bereavement counseling.

C. RULE II - MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCESSIBILITY

1. Design Criteria:
1. CATEGORIES OF DISABLED PERSONS. The categories of disability dictate the
varied measures to be adopted in order to create an accessible environment for the
handicapped. Disabled persons under these Rules may be classified into those who
have:
1.1.1 Impairments requiring confinement to wheelchairs; or
1.1.2 Impairments causing difficulty or insecurity in walking or climbing stairs or
requiring the use of braces, crutches or other artificial supports; or impairments
caused by amputation, arthritis, spastic conditions or pulmonary, cardiac or other
ills rendering individuals semi-ambulatory; or
1.1.3 Total or partial impairments of hearing or sight causing insecurity or
likelihood of exposure to danger in public places; or
1.1.4 Impairments due to conditions of aging and incoordination;
1.1.5 Mental impairments whether acquired or congenital in nature.
1.2 ANTHROPOMETRICS AND DIMENSIONAL DATA AS GUIDES FOR DESIGN. The
minimum and maximum dimensions for spaces in the built environment should consider
the following criteria:
1.2.1 The varying sizes and structures of persons of both sexes, their reaches
and their lines of sight at both the standing and sitting positions.
1.2.2 The dimensional data of the technical aids of disabled persons.
Included in the second consideration are the dimensions of wheelchairs; the
minimum space needed for locking and unlocking leg braces plus the range of
distance of crutches and other walking aids from persons using such devices.
 By applying at this very early stage dimensional criteria which take into account
wheelchair usage, the physical environment will ultimately encourage and enable
wheelchair users to make full use of their physical surroundings.
1.2.3 The provision of adequate space for wheelchair maneuvering generally
insures adequate space for disabled persons equipped with other technical aids
or accompanied by assistants. In determining the minimum dimensions for
furniture and fixtures accessible to disabled persons, the following
anthropometric data shall serve as guides for design:
- The length of wheelchairs varies from 1.10 m to 1.30 m.
- The width of wheelchairs is from 0.60 m to 0.75 m.
- A circle of 1.50 m in diameter is a suitable guide in the planning of
wheelchair-turning spaces.
- The comfortable reach of persons confined to wheelchairs is from 0.70 m
to 1.20 m above the floor andnot less than 0.40 m from room corners.
The comfortable clearance for knee and leg space under tables for
wheelchair users is 0.70 m.
- Counter height shall be placed at a level comfortable to disabled persons'
reach.
(Refer to Annex B-2 to B-6, Figs. 2 to 8.)

1.3 BASIC PHYSICAL PLANNING REQUIREMENTS. No group of people shall be

deprived of full participation and enjoyment of the environment or be made unequal with
the rest due to any disability. In order to achieve this goal adopted by the United Nations,
certain basic principles shall be applied:
1.3.1 ACCESSIBILITY. The built environment shall be designed so that it shall be
accessible to all people. This means that no criteria shall impede the use of
facilities by either handicapped or non-disabled citizens.
1.3.2 REACHABILITY. Provisions shall be adapted and introduced to the
physical environment so that as many places or buildings as possible can be
reached by all.
1.3.3 USABILITY. The built environment shall be designed so that all persons,
whether