The Center for Health Design EBD Journal Club: Built Environment Design Interventions at the Exits of Secured Dementia Care Units

The EBD Journal Club

Built environment design is recognized as important in the care and management of responsive behaviors for those living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias in secured dementia care units (e.g., exiting attempts, agitation).

The repetitious behavior of “walking with purpose” (previously termed wandering) in those with dementia has influenced safety-related architectural design components of dementia care units that decrease exiting attempts. Empirical literature addressing design interventions to prevent exiting for those with dementia is lacking and outdated.

To advance our understanding, the presenter sought to describe design interventions in dementia care units through a topical analysis of experimental studies. The studies assessed five interior design interventions at egress doorways: implementing horizontal and vertical floor grid patterns, mirrors, murals, conditioning responses to color cues, and camouflaging door hardware or vision panels.

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