‘All the corridors are the same’: a qualitative study of the orientation experiences and design preferences of UK older adults living in a communal retirement development

Abstract

Abstract:Environments need to be designed such that they support successful orientation for older adults and those with dementia who often experience marked difficulties in their orientation abilities. To better understand how environments can compensate for decreasing orientation skills, voice should be given directly to those experiencing dementia to describe how they find their way and to understand their design preferences. This study explored the navigational experiences and design preferences of older adults with memory difficulties living in a retirement development. In-depth semi-structured interviews with thirteen older adults experiencing memory difficulties were conducted. All participants were residents of one retirement development in the UK. Questions began broadly, for example, to describe their experiences of navigating in their living environment, before discussing any specific navigation difficulties in detail. Thematic analysis identified three main themes: highlighting environmental design that causes disorientation; strategies to overcome disorientation; and residents' suggestions to improve the design. The design suggestions were particularly informative, heavily focusing on the importance of having memorable and meaningful spaces which were favoured more than signage as an orientation aid. The findings demonstrate the need to consider environmental design to support orientation for those with memory difficulties. Of particular importance is the use of meaningful and relevant landmarks as orientation aids which can additionally stimulate conversation and increase well-being.Given the range of suggestions in dementia friendly design guidelines aimed to support orientation, it is crucial to speak directly to those living in different environments to learn how they find their way around and what design works in their environment.

(Dis)orientation and Design Preferences Within an Unfamiliar Care Environment: A Content Analysis of Older Adults’ Qualitative Reports After Route Learning

“…The users' opinions on design have also recently been expressed by residents of a retirement development, who reported that the repetitive design layout and interior finishes contributed towards increased feelings of disorientation (O'Malley, Innes, Muir & Wiener, 2018). Additionally, the importance of 'homely' environments has been communicated as a vital environmental consideration (Day, Carreon, & Stump, 2000;Innes, Kelly, & Dincarslan, 2011;O'Malley, Innes, Muir, & Wiener, 2018;Zavotka & Teaford, 1997). These studies demonstrate that older adults with memory difficulties can express their experiences on how they navigate within an environment and offer opinions regarding the design.…”

“…Specific focus was on how they experienced a route through a retirement development as well as their design preferences of their ideal living environment, as well as their preferences for the specific test setting. The findings from this study will allow for comparisons between the views of residents of a retirement development (O'Malley, Innes, Muir & Wiener, 2018) and older adults who are unfamiliar with a retirement development (this study).…”

“…The importance of speaking directly to the user has been demonstrated by Godwin (2014), who found that residents of a care environment had opposite preferences in the color/décor to care-staff of the same environment. The users' opinions on design have also recently been expressed by residents of a retirement development, who reported that the repetitive design layout and interior finishes contributed towards increased feelings of disorientation (O'Malley, Innes, Muir & Wiener, 2018). Additionally, the importance of 'homely' environments has been communicated as a vital environmental consideration (Day, Carreon, & Stump, 2000;Innes, Kelly, & Dincarslan, 2011;O'Malley, Innes, Muir, & Wiener, 2018;Zavotka & Teaford, 1997).…”

“…There is currently limited qualitative research that has explored older adults' experiences navigating within a new environment, or their design wishes for residential and care (DIS)ORIENTATION AND DESIGN PREFERENCES WITHIN AN UNFAMILIAR CARE ENVIRONMENT 5 environments (Godwin, 2014;O'Malley, Innes, Muir & Wiener, 2018). This study will address this gap in the literature by exploring the qualitative accounts of older adults when learning a novel route within an unfamiliar residential development.…”

The effect of signage and emotions on satisfaction with the servicescape: An empirical investigation in a healthcare service setting

“…In the words of Marks and Findley (), signage should be “adequate but (not) overdone to the point of there being so many signs that people do not see them” (p. 17). Additionally, the repetition of design is a major reason for disorientation (O'Malley, Innes, Muir, & Wiener, ).…”