What Memory Care Residents Need from Art

For people living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, complex information and busy visuals can be overwhelming. Art and wayfinding elements must be simple, consistent, and emotionally safe.

• Simple, high-contrast imagery with clear subjects (flowers, birds, familiar objects).
• Consistent thematic “neighborhoods” with recognizable patterns across a hallway or wing.
• Personalized identity markers outside suites to help residents recognize “their” space.
• Avoidance of dark, ambiguous, or visually confusing imagery.

Design Principles for Memory Care Art & Wayfinding

• Use one theme per hallway (e.g., garden, seaside, city, farm) to distinguish wings.
• Select large, easily identifiable subjects instead of small, detailed scenes.
• Integrate color bands and icons with framed art to support wayfinding.
• Place personalized “memory stations” near each suite entrance.

Memory Care Art Collections & Products

FramedArt.com Suggestions

• Garden & Floral Series: Individual flowers, garden paths, and gentle nature scenes for “Garden Wing.”
• Bird & Wildlife Prints: Birds, butterflies, and small animals for visually engaging but simple hallway art.
• Coastal & Countryside Art: Soft horizons and village scenes for day rooms and quiet lounges.
  Browse nature art: Nature & Scenic Collections

Memory Care Products from ModernMemoryDesign.com

• Resident Memory Boxes & Frames: Custom shadowbox-style frames for personal photos, small objects, or mementos outside each resident’s door.
• Personal Photo Programs: Families can upload images (weddings, hometowns, favorite hobbies) that we print and frame in consistent sizes and frame styles to unify the environment.
  Start here: Upload & Frame Your Photo
• Large Canvas Focal Points: Simple, bold imagery on stretched canvas for activity rooms and gathering spaces.
  Canvas services: Canvas Stretching & Framing

Example Memory Care Implementations

• Hallway Themes: A “Garden Wing” using only flower and garden prints; a “Harbor Wing” using only coastal scenes.
• Suite Identity Frames: Outside each room, a framed photo of the resident and one key life image (e.g., a favorite car, pet, or vocation).
• Quiet Room Art: Very simple, low-contrast nature art in spaces used for de-escalation and sensory breaks.
• Activity Room Walls: Large canvas pieces that are easy to see from across the room and spark conversation.

Partnering with Your Memory Care Team

1. Review your neighborhood layout, existing finishes, and resident profile.
2. Define themes for each wing or hallway with your care leadership and design team.
3. Curate art lists from FramedArt.com and finalize frame styles with Modern Memory Design.
4. Deliver labeled, ready-to-install framed artwork and a simple placement plan for staff and installers.

Want to bring more clarity and comfort to your memory care neighborhood?
Contact Modern Memory Design to plan a dementia-informed art and wayfinding program for your community.