Website of The Care Home Environment Magazine

Effective signage to orientate and enable

Well thought out dementia signage has a key role in ensuring residents are safe, happy and reassured as well as in enabling them to have as much independence as possible, says Tony Stead, business development manager, New Vision

Wayfinding is one of the areas in which dementia environments struggle. Effective signage can enable care home residents to orient themselves in the space that they live in and locate key areas such as their own room, toilets and communal areas such as activity rooms and dining areas. Not being able to do this can be a source of anxiety so it is of the utmost importance to get it right. 

Traditionally, most signage for dementia environments was approached in a very similar way to signage for young children. It tended to be bright in colour and images were fairly primitive in style. There did not appear to be any specific theory behind this colour choice, and in addition architects and designers creating these environments seemed reluctant to specify them. 

In order to create something that delivered on its objective of aiding successful wayfinding for those with dementia while also being aesthetically appropriate for the environment, it was therefore necessary to determine how people with dementia perceive informational signage and research the latest thinking on presenting such information.

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Upcoming Events

UK Care Week

NEC, Birmingham
20 March 2024 - 21 March 2024

Care Roadshows - Glasgow

Hampden Park Stadium, Glasgow
16th April 2024

Care Show London

ExCel, London
24 April 2024 - 25 April 2024

Future of Care Leaders Conference

The King’s Fund, London
Tuesday 30th April 2024

Care Roadshows - Liverpool

Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool
14th May 2024

Care Roadshows - Birmingham

Villa Park Stadium, Birmingham
16th May 2024

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