The document discusses key principles for designing end-of-life care environments. It notes that the physical environment can directly impact patient experience and the memories of family and caregivers. Design should facilitate privacy, dignity, and respect. Key principles include being fit for purpose, providing comfort and connection to nature, use of natural light and materials, clarity of wayfinding, and enabling patient control and privacy. Improving environmental design can enhance patient and family experience through intuitive wayfinding, access to nature, consideration of heightened senses, provision of informal spaces, and co-located bereavement services. An environmental improvement project requires forming a multidisciplinary team to review needs, develop a plan and budget, and implement high quality design standards.

1. Support sheet 15
Enhancing the Healing Environment
The importance of good design
It is recognised there is a direct impact that the physical environment can have on the
experience of care for people at the end of life and on the memories of their carers and
families. Central to this is the importance of providing an environment for patients,
relatives and the bereaved in which privacy, dignity and respect are facilitated.
Key design principles for end of life care environments
! Fit for purpose
! Comfort and human scale
! Connection with nature
! Use of natural light and natural materials
! Legibility and way finding
! Comfort, dignity and privacy
! Robustness, sustainability and economy
Improving experience
! First impressions count: uncluttered spaces and intuitive way finding create a
professional impression and reduce stress
! Good design should enable patients to control their environment from their bed
! For patients at the end of life, access to nature is important: glimpses of greenery
though a window or internal planting can help if garden access is not possible
! Senses are heightened at the end of life; touch, taste and smell as well as sight
and sound all need to be considered
! Artworks can provide distraction and lift the spirits of patients and relatives
! Informal spaces for 1:1 conversations should be provided
! Spaces where people can feel private but not alone are important for patients and
visitors
! Bereavement services should be co-located away from ward areas and include
Registrar services where possible
! Mortuary viewing facilities should meet the needs of a multicultural society
Tips for managing an environmental improvement project
! Form a multidisciplinary group, including estates staff, to review the current
environment and manage the project
! Talk to patients, relatives and staff about their current impressions and any plans
! Audit the use of the area and current operational and clinical policies
! Check feedback on care, there may be comments about the environment
! Develop a plan and budget for the project
! Aspire to high quality and design standards
! Consider engaging a designer or artist
! Be brave and once finalised stick to the plan!
Further information:
www.kingsfund.org.uk