6 • SUMMER 2012 • INDUSTRY GUIDE WWW.LTLMAGAZINE.COM

field studies

Spaces and interpersonal communication

by Judah L. Ronch, PhD

e have talked before about the power of language to commu-

nicate negative or positive atti-tudes, affirm or deny an elder’s perceptions and set the culture and tone of an organi-zation. Another important component of the experience of being in a community is that physical spaces communicate as well; buildings, by their design, create opportu-nities for interactions that might equalize or skew power among people having a conversation.

Building design can influence language by how spaces are configured and how access to various locations determines who may speak to whom, when and where. For example, simply by what it takes to gain access to certain spaces in a community, and whether they are designated as public or private (for example, a door marked “private” clearly conveys the message that we are not to enter), residents and em-ployees can feel a part of or left out of the various aspects of the community.

To ensure that our communities are truly home to residents, we must be vigilant about these messages. Too many large, confusing, unwelcoming or forbid-den parts of the physical space undermine the sense of community that is important to residents, their visiting family members and employees alike.

SPACES CAN AFFECT COMMUNICATIONSpaces in a building evoke behavior that has been learned by members of a culture, and violations of the rules of decorum are obvious, as when someone has a private

cell phone conversation in an elevator, in a loud voice—or questions a resident about a private matter, such as whether he or she is incontinent, in the lobby. We feel uncom-fortable being unwittingly exposed to such private parts of a person’s life and it can be a violation of not only privacy but dignity. Honoring the cues given by the built en-vironment—such as where to have private conversations—can help keep everybody comfortable.

Louise Revelli and Maree Stenglin, authors of Feeling Space: Interpersonal Com-munication and Spatial Semiotics in The APA Handbook of Interpersonal Communication,1 explain the ways that the built environ-ment communicates messages about how people will feel about themselves and others in interpersonal relationships. Buildings, like words, “make us feel; they may seem inviting or intimidating; they may make us feel comfortable or uncomfortable; as if we belong or are intruding.”1

For example, people usually feel differ-ently in vast open spaces, in a cathedral, museum or palace, and have a different

set of feelings in their former primary school, childhood home or living room. Each space is designed to evoke a differ-ent emotion and, therefore, have different emotional meanings as far as intimacy and distance are concerned. The physical envi-ronment “speaks” to us through the visual metaphors they present.

DESIGN TO OPTIMIZE COMMUNICATIONIn traditional nursing homes, the design of the nurses’ station, break room, din-ing room, lobby, conference room and residents’ rooms all have influence on communication and language because their designs signal who will speak there, what types of language to use in each, when it is appropriate to talk in each space and who is invited to do so. Therefore, one signifi-cant way to change Judah L. Ronch, PhD

WWW.LTLMAGAZINE.COM LONG-TErM LIvING • INDUSTRY GUIDE • 7

field studies

language in nursing homes is to redesign spaces so that elders have more opportuni-ties to converse in private in more places with people of their choosing—friends, family and staff, or to be alone if they wish.

When we consider the kinds of interac-tions, and the language we use, in large spaces versus in small, intimate ones, we notice that large spaces don’t typically promote intimate conversations where people take turns talking in a relatively equal relationship. Large, indoor spaces are usually places where one person or group actively “communicates” and others, the “audience,” listen and respond at certain predictable, well-known, socially sanc-tioned points—these spaces can become more for performing than for conversa-tion. One person presents or performs and listeners serve as an audience, responding during pauses, question-and-answer peri-ods or with applause at the conclusion. The audience is expected to remain essentially nonverbal and silent, except for these cul-turally congruent times for acknowledge-ment or invited participation.

LARGE VERSUS SMALL SPACESContrast the communication fostered, expected or encouraged in large spaces with the experience of communication in a small, intimate space, where communica-tion is more or less reciprocal. People take turns and silence is a signal for the other party to speak. We want to encourage op-portunity for these kinds of interactions in our communities because they are affirm-ing to a feeling of belonging. Long corridors, dining in groups of 40, no private space except for one’s half of a shared room—these reinforce the metaphor created by the large building design that “in a palace there is no place for intimacy.”2 Intimate conversation and informal speech, which are essential for a sense of belonging and community, require private places as a signal that they are welcome and honored in the culture.

SUMMARYAs we navigate our communities, be aware of what the spaces are communicating about our culture. We can ensure a sense of home by being aware of whether residents and employees are able to connect with one

another and feel at home in their physical environment. LTL

Judah L. Ronch, PhD, is the Dean of and a profes-sor at the Erickson School, University of Maryland Baltimore County, which offers undergraduate and Master’s degrees in Management of Aging Services as well as online and live Executive Education programs and customized industry training. He can

be reached at Ronch@UMBC.edu.

REFERENCES1. Ravelli L, Stenglin M. Feeling space: Interper-

sonal communication and spatial semiotics. In: Matsumoto D. ed. APA Handbook of Interpersonal Communication. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2010:77-110. 

2. Stilgoe J. Introduction to G. Bachelard: The Poet-ics of Space. Boston: Beacon Press, 1994.

1-800-224-6339Int’l 631-924-9000

www.biodexseniorrehab.comBIODEX

Biodex Balance & Mobility can:• Improve outcomes• Enhance short-term rehab capability• Generate leads from physicians and

hospital discharge planners• Reduce potential fall litigation• Increase community awareness for

senior rehabilitation and wellness• Improve Medicare to Medicaid ratios• Make sales tours more effective

Make your rehabilitationservice the leader inmobility, balance and fallscreening. Provide short-term patients with desiredoutcomes. We’ve put it all together – high-tech products, clinicalprotocols and even materials

that will help you market the program.

FN: 12-166 5/12

Increase Medicare Referrals...

Biodex Balance & Mobility

Objective reporting lets you prove need, progress and outcome. Call to set up an online demonstration, 1-800-224-6339 or email dbgronachan@biodex.com.

Join the hundreds of facilities like yours who have enjoyed the benefits of Biodex Balance and Mobility.

Expand your rehabilitation service for outpatients and short-term care.

“The Clinical Advantage”™

12-166 Ad_Layout 1 5/21/12 11:35 AM Page 1

Copyright of Long-Term Living: For the Continuing Care Professional is the property of Vendome Group LLC

and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright

holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.