Effects of environmental changes on elderly residents' behavior

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Psychiatry
• Environmental Psychology
• Healthcare Design

Background:

• State psychiatric facilities often require adaptation to meet evolving user and program needs.
• A seven-year-old geriatric facility, designed on a "motel model," lacked features promoting resident interaction and engagement.
• Existing facility design may not adequately support therapeutic goals for long-term care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a process for adapting a geriatric psychiatric facility to better meet user and program needs.
• To investigate the impact of environmental design changes on resident behavior and interaction.
• To assess the role of resident and staff participation in the design adaptation process.

Main Methods:

• An interdisciplinary design group conducted research in a state psychiatric facility.
• Residents and staff were randomly selected to participate in decision-making regarding design changes.
• Day-room redesign focused on increasing opportunities for resident interaction.
• A controlled research design with baseline and follow-up evaluations was employed.

Main Results:

• Measurable, positive changes in resident behavior were observed following environmental modifications.
• Residents who participated in decision-making regarding environmental changes showed particularly positive behavioral improvements.
• Remodeling day-rooms successfully increased resident interaction.

Conclusions:

• Involving residents and staff in facility design adaptation can lead to significant positive outcomes.
• Environmental modifications, specifically in day-room design, can enhance interaction and behavior in geriatric psychiatric settings.
• User-centered design approaches are crucial for optimizing therapeutic environments in long-term psychiatric care.