Memories of home: Resident corridor

Common space

This area serves eight residents, all of whom can come straight out of their private bedrooms and into a space that’s all theirs. There’s a seating area where residents and guests can gather to chat or play a game of tic-tac-toe. “The other good thing is that you come out of your resident room and you can immediately see all the common spaces of the household,” Carpenter says. That makes navigating and wayfinding easier.

Reminiscence/activity stations

There’s a dressing table with jewelry holders that could be filled with playful baubles, scarves and hats as well as a mirror for residents to play dress up and admire their newly adorned accessories. On the opposite wall, there’s a secretary desk complete with a telephone, blotter and inkpad for residents to write, stamp or sign papers.

Personalized entryways

Each room has its own mailbox and entryway lamp, and each is a little different. Some are horizontal, others are vertical but all have distinctive decorative patterns, including daisies, sunflowers and ivy. Wall color serves as another visual cue to help residents distinguish room from room.

Local images

This facility is in Pennsylvania, so the framed wall art features covered red barns and a decorative rooster, too. “We’re using images that are familiar to the people who live nearby and grouping them,” Carpenter says. “It’s all little details that are really good for memory care and wayfinding.”

Read more: Memories of home

Image courtesy of Alise O’Brien Photography

Nicole Stempak

Nicole was Senior Editor at I Advance Senior Care and Long Term Living Magazine 2015-2017. She has a Journalism degree from Kent State University and is finalizing a master’s degree in Information Architecture and Management. She has extensive studies in the digital user experience and in branding online media. She has worked as an editor and writer for various B2B publications, including Business Finance.