Elevator Doors in Memory Care
Elevators are convenient for staff and the day to day running of a care home, no question. However, they can pose certain challenges in Memory Care. Apart from not providing that necessary “look and feel of home” that many specialists in gerontology advise, they can provoke the same desire in residents to exit the floor. However, when the elevator doesn’t look like a means of egress, there will be fewer residents lingering for this opportunity. In addition, many steel elevators have highly reflective surfaces, which can be confusing and disturbing to some residents living with a form of dementia.
Elevators don’t give the fire safety officer as much concern as do exit doors, because they are not used in the event of a fire, but it is always best to check with fire officials before going ahead with your elevator wrap.
“The wraps are really effective! The patients don’t hover near the elevators as I have seen in other facilities I have worked in.”
“I just wanted to let you know that we have received many compliments about our elevator and the staff have already noted a significant reduction in exit seeking behaviours!”
See some of the transformations below
Looks like home
Shiny, reflective surfaces typically seen on stainless steel elevators can cause confusion for people living with certain types of dementia. At the very least, a block of steel is not conducive to a home environment! Its very presence can signal to a resident that they are not “at home” and can therefore be a “beacon” and signal to exit the floor.
