The aim of the study was to generate informed design recommendations for Geriatric Psychiatry Units in hospitals in order to create and facilitate a dementia friendly built environment with accessible inclusive wayfinding systems. In establishing a set of design guidelines to achieve this outcome, three sources of knowledge and practice were drawn together: preliminary observations; interviews with the staff of the GPU unit at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute; and a meta-ethnography study. The results show that simple design modifications with properly designed floor layout may have a significant impact on residents’ behavioural outcomes; such as using landmarks, cues, colour schemes, and dementia-friendly signage system. The guidelines of the research indicate and argued that wayfinding systems have to be designed and based on the particular environmental responses of the residents,
making these systems more readily accessible and inclusive for the diversity of resident population including their abilities and background. Of particular importance, is that
research points to the need and potential for designing environments with home-based social activities in mind; like laundry folding, cleaning dishes, green table to play cards, and old fashioned office desks, etc. Recommendations established to address these needs are relatively low-cost for GPU units, and may be extendable to other built environments outside of hospital settings.