ABSTRACT
Hospital admission can lead to a range of adverse outcomes for people living with dementia, due in part to factors relating to the (i) social and (ii) physical environment. A person-centred care approach can create a social environment that supports respect, dignity, and autonomy, and alleviates distress. Furthermore, a range of design considerations (e.g., layout, colour schemes, flooring, lighting, temporal orientation, signage, a home-like feel) and having access to shared and private spaces, sensory stimulation, and the outdoors can influence outcomes for people with dementia. A suboptimal social and physical environment can lead to functional decline, delirium, reduced mobility, and increased mortality, length of stay, and/or psychotropic medication use for those with dementia. Guidelines, tools, and incentives have been developed to promote dementia-friendly hospitals; however, implementation remains challenging. High-quality evidence is needed on the effectiveness, sustainability, and cost-benefit of specific design characteristics. Future research must also meaningfully include the perspectives of people living with dementia, in particular, via co-design approaches.
