About Common Areas

Common Areas is a publication about the shared spaces of senior living communities (independent living, assisted living, memory care, and long-term care) across the United States and Canada. We write about dining rooms, corridors, lounges, lobbies, and courtyards: the rooms residents share, and the design and operational decisions that determine whether those rooms get used.

We write for the people responsible for those decisions: facility directors, developers, owners, and operations managers. Not for vendors, and not for academics, though we read what the academics publish.

Our editorial rules

• Residents are people, never inventory. We do not write about "beds," "units," or "census" as if they were the point. The point is a person deciding whether the dining room is worth the trip.
• We label our evidence honestly. Evidence-based design is a real and growing literature, but much of what circulates in this industry is principle, convention, or vendor claim dressed up as proof. When something is a well-supported design principle, we say so. When it is our working judgment, we say that too. We do not invent statistics, and we do not cite studies we have not verified.
• Environment and operations only. We cover layout, wayfinding, acoustics, lighting, outdoor access, renovation logistics, and how families perceive a building. We do not publish buying guides, supplier comparisons, or product reviews.
• No named facilities or individuals. Scenarios in our articles are composites drawn from common industry situations, not descriptions of real, identifiable communities or people.

Who writes this

Articles are written and reviewed collectively and published under the byline "Common Areas editors." We would rather the work stand on its reasoning than on a headshot.

A note on standards

We refer to accessibility standards, such as the U.S. 2010 ADA Standards, as context, not as legal advice. Requirements vary by jurisdiction, building type, licensing category, alteration scope, and adopted code. Always verify the current requirements with the authority having jurisdiction and qualified project professionals.

Sources and corrections

Every article includes a source shelf with direct primary guidance or research relevant to its topic. Those references anchor the subject area; they do not prove every design recommendation or replace clinical judgment, a resident care plan, product instructions, or site-specific professional review. Material corrections are made directly in the affected article. Readers can report a concern through the contact page.