Large peel-and-stick photos are successfully redirecting wandering residents at Montfort Long Term Care home’s enriched and secure area.

Photo art provides solution at Montfort home
Large images successfully redirecting wandering residents
Thursday March 1, 2012 -- Jennifer Neutel
The addition of four large peel-and-stick photos on doors at Revera’s Montfort Long Term Care home’s enriched and secure area is successfully redirecting wandering residents and providing colourful art to view.

Gaetan Grondin, the home’s executive director, says prior to putting up the artwork some residents would try to open entrance doors on the floor.

“They used to force the door and try to open it and be very sad and frustrated that they can’t open the door,” he tells the Morning Report.

The Ottawa home reached out to one of the resident’s children who runs Peeling Art, an art company that uses photos and images to create larger-than-life peel-and-stick wall art.

The wall art was added to the area’s entrance doors and two resident room doors at the end of a corridor that other residents would wander into.

Two of the photos feature children outside, and the others show library bookcases. Grondin notes the bookcases look very realistic, while the images of children prompt nice memories for the residents.

Residents no longer see the doorknobs, Grondin says, instead they will look at the art and turnaround and keep walking.

“It’s made a huge difference,” he says.

Residents’ frustration and anxiety has decreased, they’re happy to see the images, and they do not disturb the residents who need privacy, notes Grondin.

He says staff members, families, and volunteers are all pleased with the selection of pictures and the change in residents.

Grondin says the artwork “certainly meets the purpose of changing the focus of those who are wandering.”

“It’s unbelievable how positive this addition to our home is, and we just hope that more homes can do the same for the benefit of the elderly people who live in the secure home area.”

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