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Published on: February 8, 2019
Dementia-friendly architecture: environments that facilitate wayfinding in nursing homes
Gesine Marquardt1, Peter Schmieg
1Department of Architecture, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany. gesine.marquardt@tu-dresden.de
Summary
Nursing home design can significantly aid residents with dementia. Straight layouts, fewer residents per area, and single living/dining spaces improve wayfinding and autonomy for individuals with spatial disorientation.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Environmental Psychology
- Architecture
Background:
- Spatial disorientation is a major cause of institutionalization among nursing home residents.
- Resident autonomy and quality of life are linked to their ability to navigate their environment.
- The physical environment can be optimized to support wayfinding for residents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of architectural characteristics on resident wayfinding abilities in German nursing homes.
- To identify specific design factors that can compensate for spatial disorientation in individuals with dementia.
Main Methods:
- Data collected from 30 German nursing homes.
- Skilled nurses assessed residents' wayfinding performance on 5 tasks.
- Architectural features were analyzed, and their statistical significance on wayfinding scores was tested using the Mann-Whitney U test (P < .05).
Main Results:
- Advancing dementia increases resident dependence on a supportive environment.
- Key factors include: small resident numbers per living area, straight circulation paths with no directional changes, and a single living/dining room.
- These findings were statistically significant (P < .05).
Conclusions:
- Architectural design plays a crucial role in supporting wayfinding for nursing home residents, especially those with dementia.
- Specific design recommendations can enhance resident autonomy and quality of life.
- Guidelines for architectural improvements were developed based on study findings.
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