Because of the variability in medical respite programs across the country, there have been minimal space guidelines to support organizations that wish to develop or expand their medical respite care facilities. CannonDesign partnered with the National Health Care for the Homeless Council to establish national, evidence-based Space and Facility Guidelines for Medical Respite Care Programs to inform the planning and design of medical respite facilities. These guidelines are based on best practices in medical, residential, and long-term care facility design, and are adapted to the needs of medical respite programs and aligned with the NIMRC Framework for Medical Respite Care.
This webinar, the first in a two-part series, provides an overview of how programs and organizations can use the approach of “form follows function” to integrate their model of care, workflows, and Standards to inform the design, adjacencies, and attributes of the space to create trauma-informed and functional facilities. Part 1 introduces the guidelines and dives into client sleep, bathroom, and communal spaces.
Panelists: Debbie Jacobs, Vice President, CannonDesign; Susan Silverman, Vice President, CannonDesign; Alison Leonard, Vice President, CannonDesign; Erin Bridges, Sr. Marketing Specialist, CannonDesign. Moderated by Caitlin Synovec, NHCHC.
Recorded on: September 30, 2026.
