Collection: Waiting Room

Waiting rooms can influence the patient and family experience, as well as organizational efficiency. For older adults, especially those with dementia, waiting room design can unintentionally present barriers to accessing medical care and result in maladaptive behaviors and symptoms. This further contributes to the individual’s confusion, difficulty in negotiating spaces, and an increased dependence upon companions. By translating person-centered design strategies drawn from dementia-focused design interventions in residential settings, a dementia-supportive waiting room can support equitable access for the broadest range of patients in any healthcare setting.