Families who want to visit their elderly, high-risk loved ones who are trapped in adult care facilities may have new, lean solutions thanks to an interior designer based in Brooklyn.
Avigail Eisenstadt, CEO and principal designer of the AE Design Group, has developed a pandemic-friendly visiting room complete with flexible hug walls, UV lighting and lots of plexiglass glass to make visits to seniors safe as New York crawls nearing the “new normal”. “
“During this COVID outbreak, it was terrible how the residents unfortunately got hit hard and they were quarantined in their rooms and inside the facilities and the only way they could see their family was through a drive by the window and it was very sad and disappointing,” Eisenstadt said , 37, to The Post.
“These people, most of them live in the twilight of their lives in this facility and they deserve to have a beautiful, comfortable and safe environment.”
The rendering of the design shows three separate pods with plants, sofas and coffee tables which can be accessed from a separate and airtight entrance with its own ventilation system.
Eisenstadt’s designs include copper fittings, which kill germs in a few hours, and tables made of antimicrobial materials such as stones developed in Spain called KRION which also kill germs.
AE Design, which specializes in health care rooms, developed a prototype for Brooklyn nursing home facilities after they asked him how they could bring a safe return visit.
“Between our rooms we can suck glass so it’s private, we have UV lighting to clean the air and kill germs, it lights up when no one is there, and sanitation fog that will clean the room between each use,” Eisenstadt explained.
“We put on a flexible embrace wall, we still have to verify that safety and eligibility, it is something we are working on to see if we can make it happen for them because it makes a big difference,” the mother of five continued.
“Seeing someone through a glass is good, but it’s still a bit cold so if we can do it it will be fantastic.”
Eisenstadt said the design could be adjusted on a budget but could include sound-activated technology that would allow them on both sides of the barrier to communicate as if they were sitting next to each other. He also has plans for screens like the iPad that allow children to make images to share with their loved ones.
“They anticipate there might be another outbreak in the fall, God forbid, we are trying to get this as soon as possible so people can continue the normal sort when it comes to visits but at the same time, we think this is a great thing to have in an outside facility “There is a flu season, there are people with very weak health who should not be exposed to the elements, people carry germs so we think this is something that can be beneficial in long-term facilities,” Eisenstadt said.
“We’re just trying to help them safely reunite, that’s very important. There’s nothing more important in life than family.”
