Memory Care Decorating Ideas: Best Interior Design Practices for People With Dementia

The physical environment is important for individuals with memory care needs and cognitive decline. The goal is to design an environment that your loved one can move freely through on their own without help or risk of wandering.

The following are some tried and true memory care decorating ideas for designing a space for a person with dementia.

• Remove or cover slick or slippery flooring.
• Keep areas well-lit with natural light during the day and light bulbs with good color rendering index (CRI) at night.^[01]
• Doors to the outside should be painted to match walls to help camouflage exits.
• Paint hallways with different colors to help people with dementia navigate between areas in the home or community.
• Create low thresholds to minimize fall hazards.
• Personalize bedroom doors to provide positive cues so they can easily recognize their room.

Intentional memory care design tips are ways to promote well-being, functionality, and safety for people with dementia. Intentional design with memory care in mind can mitigate safety risks as well as promote a sense of well-being in a person with dementia. We go into more specifics on memory care decorating and dementia-care home design below, including the science behind these techniques. Patrice Goldberg, director of interior design at Kisco Senior Living, suggests focusing on the following design elements to make your loved one’s space more dementia friendly.

Read more:Memory Care vs. In-Home Care for Dementia: What's the Difference?

Hanging the favorite artwork of the person with dementia is a great way to support memory and increase reminiscence. Displaying your loved one’s favorite art or their own artistic creations is a way to make their environment familiar. Artwork can stimulate them and help them feel more present and comfortable in their surroundings.^[02]

Interacting with artwork can increase alertness and concentration while allowing individuals to reflect and ease into communication. Observing artwork may even boost cognitive functions in various areas of the brain, including brain wave patterns, emotions, and the nervous system. Art might even raise serotonin levels, a chemical messenger in the brain that stabilizes and boosts mood and produces healthy sleeping patterns.^[03]

Good lighting helps individuals with dementia in both mental and physical ways. It can support mental well-being by enhancing their mood and increasing their willingness to participate in activities. It supports physical safety by helping them see and navigate their surroundings.^[01]

A lack of natural sunlight can increase the risk of mood disorders in people with dementia, like sundown syndrome. Sundown syndrome is a behavioral shift that occurs during the transition from daylight to darkness. Individuals who experience this may feel depressed, agitated, or confused as it gets dark outside. Although the cause of sundown syndrome is unknown, there are known triggers, like a lack of natural and full-spectrum light sources.

If natural sunlight is in short supply, like during winter, purchase a lightbox or light therapy lamp to add natural-looking light to the environment. Keep windows open as much as possible before dark, and then transition to a soft, full-spectrum light bulb as the sun goes down. Always look for light bulbs with a good color rendering index (CRI), which means the light is closer to the full-spectrum light of sunlight.

Elderly vision changes can also create extra sensitivity to glare and certain lights, a loss of depth perception, and the ability to note contrast. By age 75, most people require twice as much light as they once needed to see comfortably.^[04] A dementia diagnosis can amplify these symptoms. Consider adding motion-sensor lights to high-traffic areas, such as the bedroom and bathroom, to provide extra safety and independence. Avoid harsh or blinking lights — such as twinkling lights — because they may cause agitation and confusion, Goldberg says.

Is memory care the right fit?

Dementia can cause vision loss and changes in the lens of the eye that affect depth and color perception. This can become disorienting to a person with dementia and can pose some physical challenges, like fall risks and confusion.

Creating contrast between objects and spaces can help individuals with vision loss to better see and navigate their surroundings. For instance, if the walls are a light color, add a rug just a couple of shades darker to add some contrast. To prevent falling accidents, avoid very dark or black rugs on the floor. Because dementia can cause distorted vision, black or very dark colors on the ground can be perceived as holes, which can throw off balance.

Move furniture to open walking areas and clear floor space, always removing any trip or slip hazards. Signs around the home can also help minimize your loved one’s confusion, promoting a comfortable flow.

Libbi Hash, director of wellness and memory care at Kisco Senior Living, suggests using red signs to help your loved one move around the house more easily and frequent certain rooms. Red attracts the eye quicker so it can help the sign be more visible. Label their room, the bathroom, the living room, and other important objects and areas that they frequent.

Read more:How to Talk to Your Parent About Moving to Memory Care

Memory care questions? Get expert help

Making these changes to your loved one’s home or looking for a memory care community with dementia-care design elements has long-term positive effects for individuals with dementia. Dementia-care home design can help increase independence and minimize the confusion that can come with progressing dementia. Understanding the way individuals with dementia interact with their surroundings will help create a home where they can feel safe and comfortable.

If you need help finding a memory care community for your loved one, reach out to one of our free, local Senior Living Advisors to help you find the right fit. These advisors will consider the dementia-care needs of your loved one and help find memory care homes in their area. Advisors can even help schedule tours of memory care communities, so you can ensure the home or community applies dementia-care design practices throughout the living spaces.