Healthcare construction worldwide has been booming, and with is so has the field of Evidence-Based Design (EBD). EBD emphasizes the importance of using credible data to guide the design process of everything from a residential home, to a hospital. Researchers in the field have provided healthcare architects and designers with irrefutable data on the impact of design features. In turn, the results of these studies are being incorporated into new and refurbished healthcare facilities in an effort to dramatically improve patient and staff well-being, patient healing process, stress reduction and safety.

The use of imagery, like art or photography, in healthcare design has been singled out as a key component of EBD.

Does art help reduce pain and stress?

What type of art helps patients relax best?

How and where should it be placed?

These are the types of questions EBD researchers have worked to answer over the years. An eldercare facility poses a unique design challenge, in that it must serve as both a healthcare facility and residential living space. When making the decision to integrate imagery into an eldercare facility, evidence-based design research has taught us how to best use resources allocated for art, photography and other unique visual products. Keep the following in mind as you consult with designers and architects on the use of imagery in an eldercare facility:

Use Artwork as Positive Distraction

  • Recall your last dental visit. Staring at a plain, white ceiling tile or bright light for 30 minutes makes it pretty hard to take your mind off an uncomfortable or painful procedure. Now, imagine staring up at a scene depicting a blue ocean filled with tropical fish where you could get lost in the coral or details of the aquatic colors. Use of artwork, photography and other graphics products can provide positive distractions for patients during medical procedures. Patients viewing art during painful medical procedures report significantly less pain and require less pain medication if art is present in the residential recovery area.

Nature Scenes Relax Patients and Reduce Pain More Effectively

  • There is actually a measured physical response to viewing a nature scene as opposed to abstract art. Viewing nature scenes in healthcare settings has shown to reduce patients' blood pressure and qualitatively, less anxiety was reported. Abstracts or busy imagery, like cityscapes can actually cause anxiety in residents and patients.

Artistic Installations Can Play a Vital Role in Wayfinding

  • Walk through the hallway of an eldercare facility and try to remember which colored stripes on the wall you were instructed to follow. Even if you remember, most have faded or peeled away. What if you were instructed to “take a left” when you see the Grand Canyon in the ceiling or in a mural on the wall. Visiting a friend or loved one in an eldercare facility can be a stressful experience. An artistic installation, like a mural our luminous ceiling tiles depicting a nature scene can help visitors navigate through a facility in a fun, playful way.

Lee Skandalaris is the president of Ceiling Scenes, which designs and manufactures innovative translucent and acoustic ceiling tiles, along with wall art.