The dining space is an important space that can play the role of reducing psychological isolation. Meal times are important to the elderly not in that it is about eating itself, but because it offers a chance to interact and converse with others, ther...
The dining space is an important space that can play the role of reducing psychological isolation. Meal times are important to the elderly not in that it is about eating itself, but because it offers a chance to interact and converse with others, thereby offering a social benefit, too. When one is at an advanced age when physical deterioration starts, more management is needed. As a result, apartments where a number of households live in a community and where various facilities are easily accessible are considered as a more common form of residence than single houses, even by the elderly. However, the community space found in apartment complexes of Korea have the issue of being designed and planned with only the average resident in mind.
Meal services offered to the elderly within a certain community are taken care of by the elderly restaurant with the senior citizens’ welfare center taking a leading role. However, the environment of the elderly restaurants in Korea lacks consideration from an architectural point of view’ that is, it does not encourage social interaction among the elderly or allow them to take their time and relish their meals. Moreover, the spatial composition of Korean elderly restaurants cannot be said to have taken into account the emotional and psychological status of the elderly when designed. Of the factors that need consideration when designed for senior citizens, the healing environment that makes up the interior space affects the level of satisfaction the customer has not only in a general medical facility but also in a dining space. Therefore, in order to maintain a more efficient space, the needs of the elderly in terms of their environment and the factors that affect the healing environment need to be predicted and the interior design needs to make use of such factors to create an optimal space. As such, this study analyzes the factors of healing environments in Korean restaurants catering to the elderly, identifies issues of usage through an interview with the manager of such restaurants and proposes the possibility of a community kitchen inside apartment complexes.