Designed for veterans with dementia, the Fergus Falls Veterans Home special care addition creates a safe, home-like environment for residents organized by the neighborhood concept of care. Fergus Falls supports independence and ease of wayfinding for residents by using comfortable and familiar guideposts that create a strong sense of place, which in turn makes it easier for staff to be integrated into the residents’ daily lives. An open plan allows residents to see their destination upon leaving their room, further reducing confusion.
The neighborhoods are designed as “villages” with details which look like a small, old-world village that contains a household dining room and family room as well as its own porch and “outdoor” fireplace. Each resident room has a unique artificial house front to support the village and home-like ambiance.
A Snoezelen room (otherwise known as a life experience or multi-sensory room) allows dementia patients to receive comforting, controlled stimuli. For example, some of the home’s residents used to bartend; in the Snoezelen room, a block of computer screens would show a friendly bar scene while tables, plastic glasses, and tumblers would provide a nostalgic environment.