DEALING WITH EXIT SEEKING BEHAVIOUR

A challenge for many senior care facilities is the tendency for residents to want to wander. An innovative solution is to disguise the exit doors by covering the doors with a printed biophilic image. On occassion, covering an exit door with a biophilic nature picture is not practical. An alternative is to print an image of a common piece of furniture that one might find in a typical home or residence such as a bookcase.

For a resident who is not exit-seeking but simply on a “walk about” --which has shown to  relieve stress and boredom and is  a good form of exercise -- a disguised exit door may eliminate the possibility that the resident will wander out of a safe area and into an area of the facility that is not as secure..