Wayfinding Design That Reduces Wandering & Exit-Seeking
Wandering and exit-seeking are often symptoms of wayfinding failure, not wilful behaviour. This guide explains how thoughtful environmental design can reduce these behaviours by addressing their underlying causes: disorientation, unmet needs, and lack of meaningful destinations.
Wandering is one of the most common and challenging behaviours associated with dementia, affecting an estimated 60 percent of people with the condition at some point. However, the term 'wandering' is increasingly viewed as inadequate and potentially dismissive. Much of what is labelled wandering is actually purposeful movement with a goal the person cannot articulate or achieve: looking for the toilet, searching for a familiar person, trying to go home, or simply seeking stimulation in an under-stimulating environment. The DSDC and Alzheimer's Society both advocate reframing wandering as a communication of unmet needs, and designing environments that address those needs rather than merely containing the person.
Wayfinding Failure as a Root Cause#
Research consistently demonstrates a strong link between wayfinding failure and what is labelled wandering. A resident who cannot find the toilet may walk increasingly agitated loops around the corridor. A resident who cannot find the lounge may approach the exit door because it is the only door they can identify. A resident who cannot find their bedroom may pace anxiously for hours. In each case, the underlying problem is not a behavioural disorder but an environmental failure to provide adequate wayfinding support. Addressing the wayfinding gaps directly reduces the behaviour without the need for physical or chemical restraint.
Environmental strategies that reduce wandering behaviours:
- Ensure every toilet is clearly signed with large, high-contrast imagery visible from the corridor
- Install directional signs at every junction pointing to the most commonly sought destinations
- Disguise exit doors by painting them the same colour as the surrounding wall, while clearly signing safe destinations
- Create walking loops within the building that pass through interesting spaces and return to a starting point
- Provide meaningful destinations: a cafe area, a garden, an activity corner, a rummage station
- Use distraction and diversion techniques at exit points, such as a display of familiar objects or a window with an engaging view
- Ensure bedrooms are easily identifiable with personalised signs and personal landmarks
Disguising Exits Without Creating Barriers#
One of the most effective strategies for reducing exit-seeking is to make exit doors visually recede while making safe destinations visually prominent. Painting exit doors the same colour as the surrounding wall significantly reduces the number of residents who approach them, because the door is no longer perceived as a distinct destination. At the same time, safe destination doors, such as the lounge, dining room, and garden, should be painted in contrasting colours and clearly signed to attract attention. This approach redirects rather than restricts, preserving the resident's freedom to move while guiding them towards safe, meaningful spaces.
Pro Tip
Instead of locked doors that frustrate and distress residents, create an engaging distraction near exit points. A memory table with familiar objects, a fish tank, or a window seat overlooking the garden provides a reason to stop and engage before reaching the exit. Combine this with clear directional signage pointing back towards communal areas.
Creating Purposeful Walking Routes#
Many residents who 'wander' are simply seeking stimulation and physical activity. Creating designed walking routes within the care home provides a safe outlet for this need. A walking loop that passes through different sensory environments, past windows with views, through communal areas with activities, and past landmark objects provides a journey with purpose and interest. Research from the University of Stirling shows that care homes with dedicated walking routes report up to 40 percent fewer exit-seeking incidents and significantly lower use of psychotropic medication.
Recommended Products
Clear, consistent signage is the foundation of an environment that reduces wandering by supporting purposeful navigation. Our DSDC 1A-accredited door signs, directional signs, and projecting signs work together to ensure residents can always find their way to a meaningful destination rather than being drawn to exit doors.
Ethical note
Physical restraint, locked doors, and sedative medication should always be measures of last resort. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) set strict legal parameters around restricting a person's freedom. Environmental wayfinding design offers an ethical, evidence-based alternative that reduces wandering behaviours while respecting residents' rights and dignity.
Related Articles
The Ultimate Wayfinding Strategy for Care Homes
A comprehensive master guide to developing an effective wayfinding strategy that helps residents living with dementia navigate independently, covering signage systems, environmental design, colour coding, landmarks, and ongoing evaluation.
Wayfinding for Residents with Moderate to Advanced Dementia
As dementia progresses, wayfinding abilities change. This guide explains how to adapt your wayfinding strategy for residents with moderate to advanced dementia, including simplified signage, sensory cues, staff-led approaches, and environmental modifications that maintain dignity and safety.
Designing Corridors That Guide: Wayfinding in Care Home Hallways
Corridors are the most challenging spaces for residents with dementia to navigate. This guide covers how to transform uniform hallways into intuitive wayfinding routes using signage, colour differentiation, landmarks, lighting, and environmental design.
Outdoor Wayfinding: Gardens, Courtyards & External Navigation
Access to outdoor spaces is vital for resident wellbeing, but gardens and courtyards present unique wayfinding challenges. This guide covers path design, outdoor signage, looped routes, sensory gardens, and ensuring residents can find their way back inside safely.