According to the Alzheimer’s Association brochure titled, “Campaign for Quality Residential Care’s ‘Dementia Care Practice,’” people living with Alzheimer’s in care facilities often exhibit a behavior described as “exit seeking”—the strong desire to leave the building and wander. Since wandering poses a serious health risk, making exits less obvious reduces visual cues for exiting.
The Alzheimer’s Association brochure describes exit-seeking as normal and quite understandable:
“It can result from the resident’s desire to return to a secure, familiar home or former workplace. The resident may be trying to reconnect with family members or may be following old habits, such as leaving for work in the afternoon. The resident may be drawn outside by a sunny day or have a desire for fresh air or a daily walk.”
In addition to many other strategies to prevent residents from wandering (and with the OK from the fire marshall), the Alzheimer’s Association encourages care centers to disguise exits in ways that also bring beauty to a clinical setting.
An added bonus? The murals and exit doors often beautify an otherwise sterile institutional space and bring a sense of peace to the residents.
Please stop in for a visit and check out the artwork installed by South Mountain Memory Care.
South Mountain Memory Care focuses on high-quality, personalized care. The brand-new building is a stand-alone memory care community, meaning that the entire building, staff, and programs are designed to cater to residents with cognitive issues. To ensure person-centered care and attention, we have accommodations for up to 28 residents. The building is divided into two neighborhoods (wings), each offering 10 private suites and 2 semi-private suites.
South Mountain Memory Care is located in the Allentown suburb of Emmaus, Pennsylvania, and it is easily accessible from the Lehigh Valley, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. For more information, go to http://www.southmountainmemorycare.com/