A Story of Innovation: The Alexian Village Health Center, Milwaukee

Abstract

This monograph is the result of a study at the Alexian Village of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a continuing care retirement community. It shows how the quality of its Health Center residents' lives were improved through manipulation of the physical environment. This monograph set out to achieve four major goals: 1) to show the relationships between organizational, social, and environmental factors; 2) to demonstrate the role of the physical environment as a therapeutic tool; 3) to demonstrate the importance of the preparatory process in creating a facility for older persons; 4) to demonstrate the rewards of ongoing analysis and evaluation.