A haven for the spirit. A well-designed chapel can improve nursing home residents' spiritual and psychological health.
Where a strong conviction exists about the value of public worship for nursing home residents, leaders will make efforts to meet their religious needs. Although it is expensive, a spacious chapel can be one of the most important additions a long-term care facility can make. In July 1983 the board of directors at the Merkle-Knipprath Nursing Home, Clifton, IL, decided to build a spacious chapel for its residents. The building committee began planning by developing a list of what features the chapel would need to adequately serve the residents. Once it had established the needs, the committee began to consider what kind of design would fulfill them. The chapel was completed in 1985. Members decided that a somewhat circular building would work best. Pews are arranged in a semicircle around the alter, with an aisle on both ends of each pew for easy access. For practical reasons, seat cushions have vinyl covers and the floor is linoleum. Automatic doors open onto the chapel from the corridor. The chapel also has a quiet room with glass panels facing the altar. The room, with a front door leading into the chapel and a back door leading to the corridor connecting the chapel and the nursing home proper, can be used for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To enhance the spiritual atmosphere, the committee commissioned an artist to design stained-glass windows, which extend from the floor to the lower part of the chapel's vaulted ceiling. An organ also adds a significant dimension to religious services.
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Merkle-Knipprath Nursing Home, Clifton, IL.
D001107:Architectural Accessibility; D001154:Art; D002410:Catholicism; D006272:Health Facility Environment; D007087:Illinois; D007374:Interior Design and Furnishings; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010327:Pastoral Care