Senior Living Facilities Improve Their Amenities With Patio Grills & Heaters

What exactly draws older adults to choose one senior living facility over another? Of course, basic cleanliness and maintenance are non-negotiable. A warm, welcoming atmosphere plays a big role too. However, some of the most sought-after senior residences offer additional perks such as laundry services, transportation options, social events, lounges, and fitness facilities.

These communities are always on the lookout for ways to enhance their offerings and attract new residents. Older adults particularly appreciate features that encourage mobility and social interaction. It’s crucial for residents to feel they belong to a community where they can engage in activities they’ve always enjoyed.

The Answer: A Grilling Patio

There’s something undeniably cozy about an outdoor barbecue. Most seniors have hosted countless barbecues over the years. There’s nothing quite like spending an evening outdoors with family and friends, savoring delicious home-cooked meals.

Senior living facilities come in all shapes and sizes, but they all benefit from adding a well-designed grilling patio. Whether it’s a 55+ apartment complex where residents live independently but share communal spaces like pools, patios, and meeting rooms, or a care center where some residents require assistance, any outdoor area can be transformed into a vibrant gathering spot with the right equipment.

Once a lively social patio is established, the fun doesn’t end when dinner wraps up. Comfortable seating with patio heaters allows for card and board games during both the day and evening. The patio becomes the perfect spot for leisurely mornings with a cup of coffee and the daily paper. Simply sitting and chatting with neighbors takes on a special charm when the patio is designed to be as inviting as possible.

An outdoor grilling area is also a fantastic place for residents to host family gatherings. Grandchildren can play freely while parents showcase their cooking skills. For adult-only gatherings, the menu can range from classic burgers and hot dogs to gourmet options like steaks, chicken, and chops.

Outdoor Grilling Equipment

An inviting patio is bound to see plenty of use, so it’s essential to have durable and reliable grills and heaters. They need to be user-friendly for seniors and easy to maintain.

Patio Grills

The T-Series grills from AEI Corporation make an excellent choice for high-use patios in senior centers or retirement communities. These sturdy grills are used worldwide in apartments, condos, golf clubs, sailing clubs, and restaurants with outdoor kitchens. They’re available in rugged cast aluminum or stainless steel.

These are commercial-grade grills built to withstand regular use. The focus is on quality construction and practical features rather than unnecessary frills. A T-Series grill is suitable for a grandparent cooking a few burgers for the family and a program director preparing a feast for the entire building. They grill, they roast, and they even offer a rotisserie option.

These grills come with lift-assist grill handles, making it easy for someone with an arm in a cast or a senior in a wheelchair to open and close the device.

One of the standout features of these grills is the PGS FuelStop® one-hour gas flow timer. In larger communities where not everyone remembers to turn things off, leaving a gas burner on can be problematic—wasteful at best and potentially hazardous at worst. But that won’t happen with a PGS T-Series grill! The gas automatically shuts off after an hour. This gives building managers peace of mind knowing the fuel won’t keep running if a resident forgets to turn the grill off.

These grills can be mounted on wheeled carts or integrated into grilling islands tailored to fit them. They can also be custom-installed into outdoor countertops. Available in both natural gas and liquid propane models, they suit various setups.

Patio Heaters

An outdoor grilling space is perfect for sunny days and balmy summer evenings, but why limit the fun to warmer weather? With patio heaters, you can extend the enjoyment into cooler months. This is particularly beneficial for seniors, who tend to feel colder than they used to.

There are several types of patio heaters suitable for senior centers, and one will suit your outdoor space perfectly.

In outdoor dining areas of restaurants, you often see mushroom-shaped heaters. These have circular tops perched on long poles. These can be natural gas heaters with the fuel source below in cement. Alternatively, liquid propane mushroom heaters have a tank at the base. They’re typically on wheels, allowing you to move them around the patio as needed.

Mushroom heaters radiate warmth in a 360-degree pattern and work well for large patios. Carefully analyze the size and layout of your patio to determine how many you’ll need and where to place them.

If there’s a convenient wall or similar structure, a rectangular or box heater may be a better fit. These heaters typically run on electricity or natural gas, either hardwired into the building’s electrical system or connected to the property’s natural gas line. They can be mounted on walls or directed downward from the ceiling of a covered patio. Some can even be recessed so they’re flush with the surface.

Enjoying a Thoughtfully Equipped Patio

A patio by itself is just a flat area where people might sit for a while. Add a grill, though, and it becomes a hub for gatherings. With a commercial-grade grill like the PGS T-Series, the gathering space can comfortably accommodate a crowd. The food can be better and more plentiful, and the good times just keep rolling.

Introduce patio heaters to a senior residence, and you’ve created a new room within the building. Similar to a game room or meeting room, it offers a shared space where residents can entertain friends and family. With a safe and easy-to-operate grill, many residents will be able to prepare their own delicious outdoor meals, while others can have meals prepared for them—either by their guests or by the staff.

With the right setup of patio heaters, no one will have to bundle up and retreat indoors when temperatures drop. The patio won’t go unused as autumn approaches.

When older adults and their families tour senior facilities, they look for places where the comforts of home aren’t sacrificed. For many, grilling outdoors and hosting gatherings on the patio were significant parts of their social lives. They’ll want to live where they can continue to enjoy the pleasures of outdoor cooking and spend time with loved ones in a pleasant, natural setting.