Legibility of floor plans and wayfinding satisfaction of residents in Care and Attention homes in Hong Kong.

OBJECTIVE: Focusing on Hong Kong Care and Attention homes which provide residential care, meals, personal care and limited nursing care for older people, this study aimed to understand the impact of floor plans' legibility (layout and complexity) on residents' wayfinding satisfaction and self-reported health status.

METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted in nine Care and Attention homes. Space syntax, a well-established method, was used to evaluate the legibility of their floor plans via calculating the integration value.

RESULTS: Familiarity with Care and Attention homes did not influence the residents' satisfaction with wayfinding. The integration value had a significant impact on residents' satisfaction with wayfinding. No relationship was observed between integration value and self-reported health status.

CONCLUSION: Increasing complexity in floor plans appears to negatively affect residents' wayfinding satisfaction. These data suggest that circulation patterns should be improved for better wayfinding.