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.
Access to outdoor spaces is recognised by the DSDC, CQC, and HIQA as a fundamental component of quality care for residents living with dementia. Gardens and courtyards provide sensory stimulation, physical exercise, natural light, and a connection to nature that has measurable benefits for mood, sleep, and behavioural symptoms. However, residents often avoid outdoor spaces because they cannot find the entrance, feel uncertain about navigating garden paths, or worry about being unable to find their way back inside. Effective outdoor wayfinding removes these barriers, encouraging confident use of outdoor spaces.
Designing Accessible Garden Entrances#
The first wayfinding challenge is helping residents find the way from inside the building to the garden. Garden doors should be clearly visible from communal areas, signed with realistic garden imagery, and ideally glazed so that residents can see the outdoor space from inside. Directional signs pointing to the garden should be placed at key junctions throughout the building. The DSDC recommends positioning garden signage alongside dining room and lounge signage at decision points, elevating garden access to the same status as other key destinations.
Principles of outdoor wayfinding design:
- Create looped garden paths that always lead back to the building entrance, avoiding dead ends
- Use contrasting path edging to define the route clearly against lawn or planting areas
- Install weather-resistant signage at path junctions indicating direction back to the building
- Provide covered rest areas with seating at regular intervals along garden routes
- Ensure the building entrance is visible from most points in the garden, or use directional signs where it is not
- Use sensory planting (lavender, rosemary, jasmine) as olfactory wayfinding cues along paths
- Avoid steps where possible; use gentle ramps with handrails instead
Looped Routes and Path Design#
The single most important principle in dementia-friendly garden design is the looped path. A looped route means that a resident who walks in any direction will eventually return to their starting point, typically the building entrance. This eliminates dead ends, which can cause confusion and anxiety, and removes the need for residents to remember or retrace their steps. The DSDC recommends a main loop path of no more than 200 metres, with clearly defined edges, a smooth non-slip surface, and gentle gradients. Secondary paths branching off the main loop should be shorter and always rejoin the loop.
Pro Tip
Place distinctive landmarks at key points along the garden path, such as a water feature, a distinctive tree, a sculpture, or a brightly painted bench. These landmarks help residents orient themselves on the loop and provide conversational anchors that support social interaction during accompanied walks.
Weather-Resistant Garden Signage#
Outdoor signage must withstand rain, wind, UV exposure, and temperature extremes. Signs manufactured from UV-stable acrylic or treated wood maintain their colour and readability far longer than printed vinyl or paper signs. Position outdoor signs at path junctions and at the building entrance. A simple sign reading 'Way Back In' with an arrow and a door icon, mounted at eye level on a post, can be the difference between a resident enjoying a confident garden walk and one who becomes anxious and calls for help.
Recommended Products
Our directional signs and decal signs are designed for both indoor and outdoor use. The durable acrylic construction and UV-resistant printing ensure signs remain legible and high-contrast even after prolonged outdoor exposure. Use our directional signs at garden path junctions to guide residents safely back to the building.
DSDC best practice
A well-designed garden is not just an amenity but a therapeutic tool. Research from the University of Stirling shows that residents who use outdoor spaces regularly show improvements in sleep quality, reductions in agitation, and lower levels of prescribed psychotropic medication. Effective outdoor wayfinding is the key that unlocks these benefits.
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