How Signage Supports Person-Centred Care
Person-centred care places the individual at the heart of every decision. Effective signage supports this philosophy by enabling independence, reducing reliance on staff, and preserving the dignity of residents who can navigate their environment confidently.
Person-centred care, as articulated by Tom Kitwood and championed by the Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC), recognises that every person living with dementia retains individuality, preferences, and capabilities that must be respected and supported. The physical environment plays a crucial role in either enabling or undermining person-centred care. Signage that supports independent navigation is one of the most direct ways the built environment can uphold person-centred principles.
Independence Through Wayfinding#
Every time a resident successfully navigates from their bedroom to the dining room without assistance, person-centred care is being delivered. That journey -- made possible by clear signs at every decision point -- preserves the resident's sense of competence and autonomy. Conversely, every time a resident must be escorted or redirected because they are lost, a small piece of independence is eroded. Effective signage tilts the balance decisively toward independence.
Ways signage supports person-centred care principles:
- Promotes independence by enabling self-directed navigation
- Preserves dignity by reducing the need to ask for help with basic wayfinding
- Reduces anxiety by providing continuous visual reassurance of location and direction
- Supports choice by making all available destinations visible and accessible
- Enables personalisation through customisable bedroom door signs
- Respects individual pace by providing wayfinding cues that work regardless of walking speed
- Reduces unnecessary staff interventions, freeing staff for meaningful interactions
Personalisation as Person-Centred Practice#
Personalised bedroom signs are perhaps the most visible expression of person-centred care in the physical environment. A door bearing the resident's chosen name, a photograph that connects to their life history, and colours that reflect their preferences transforms a clinical corridor into a space that acknowledges each person as an individual. Paper insert signs make this personalisation practical and updatable, ensuring the sign remains relevant as the resident's needs and preferences evolve.
Pro Tip
Involve residents and their families in choosing the images and names for personalised bedroom signs. This collaborative process is itself an act of person-centred care, giving residents agency over their environment and creating a meaningful activity for families.
Reducing Institutional Feel#
Signs designed with warm, domestic aesthetics -- wooden-effect frames, realistic home-like imagery, soft colour palettes -- help reduce the institutional atmosphere that many care homes struggle to avoid. The DSDC research consistently shows that residents with dementia respond better to environments that resemble home rather than hospital. Signage is one of the most visible elements of the environment, and choosing signs that feel homely rather than clinical contributes significantly to a person-centred atmosphere.
Person-centred care is not just a philosophy for care plans -- it extends to every aspect of the resident's experience, including the physical environment. Inspectors from the CQC and Care Inspectorate increasingly assess whether the built environment supports person-centred care, and signage is one of the most visible indicators they evaluate.
Recommended Products
Our DSDC 1A-accredited signs are designed to support person-centred care through realistic imagery, warm colour palettes, and personalisation options. Every sign is crafted from 5mm solid white acrylic with textured 3D print that feels as good as it looks.
Signage may seem like a small detail in the context of person-centred care, but its impact is felt by every resident, every day, on every journey through the building. Getting it right is one of the simplest and most impactful ways to demonstrate that your care home truly puts the person at the centre.
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