Because of the rapid growth in specialized dementia
care settings over the past decade and because
of the incredible competition that facilities
face in attracting residents (especially private-pay
residents), numerous design features have “caught
on” like fads, becoming so prevalent that a facility
developed today without these features would be
viewed as poorly designed. Some such features are
supported by research demonstrating their effectiveness
for people with dementia, although designers
may not have been aware of the research