ABSTRACT
The hospitalization of individuals with dementia presents a multifaceted challenge in the context of aging societies. While hospitalizations often arise from diverse causes, cognitive impairments affect a significant proportion of older patients. Architectural design plays a crucial role in addressing these challenges. This paper introduces three key architectural design recommendations tailored to hospital environments. First, integrating hospitals into urban landscapes can ease patient transitions and reduce anxieties. By intertwining hospitals with public spaces, patients encounter familiar surroundings, mitigating distress. Second, dementia-friendly emergency departments should feature shielded waiting areas and adapt examination rooms as needed. Customized care structures are essential for individuals with dementia entering these high-stress environments. Third, spatial anchor points within hospital wards serve as landmarks to enhance patient navigation, facilitate interaction among each other and with staff, and provide a sense of security. Ultimately, this paper emphasizes the potential for architectural design to create more inclusive and empathetic hospital environments, benefiting both patients, staff, and healthcare providers.
