Creating a Dementia-Friendly
Memory Care Facility
By: The Coalition of NYS Alzheimer’s Association Chapters
P
eople with dementia often have trouble making sense of the world around them. The
environment (physical, social and cultural) and design features of a care facility should support
the functions of people with Alzheimer’s, accommodate behavioral changes, maximize abilities,
promote safety and encourage independence.
Maximize awareness and orientation Ensure safety and security
Dementia often creates confusion with
respect to time and place, particularly in
unfamiliar settings. Each care setting should consider safety
versus allowing and encouraging resident
autonomy and person-centered care. Please
consult the recent rules from the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
on home and community-based services
regarding wandering/unauthorized exiting,
and reflect on the following:
• Keep signs simple and place at eye level
(48 to 52 inches from the floor; lower if
there are many wheelchair users).
• Use bright contrasting colors to
distinguish furniture from the floor/rug.
• Personalize room entry to make it more
relevant and understandable to the
residents (e.g., hang favorite photos or
small mementos on the bedroom door). Understand reasons for exit-seeking behavior
• Create a regular schedule by doing an
activity in the same place, at the same
time of the day. • It may be motivated by unmet needs that
the person can’t communicate, such as
the need for human interaction or hunger
or pain.
• Create purpose-specific rooms so
residents always know what to expect
when they enter.
• Make key destinations, such as the
dining room, bathroom and
living rooms, easily visible.
• It may simply be an attempt to have a
pleasant walk, to get outside or to get
some exercise.
• It may be related to patterns of daily
routines that were disrupted by the move
to a facility.
• It may be an attempt to express
distress at aspects of the
environment, such as noise,
boredom, other residents or staff
members.
Consider security issues
• Exits that lead to
unprotected areas should be
easily monitored or protected
with some kind of alarm.
(Continued)
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