Exterior way finding, health and safety signs. Visitors and delivery drivers entering your site must be directed safely to their appropriate destination. Signs can be post mounted and can be positioned at appropriate junctions clearly directing to car park, deliveries or other areas. Car parks may require disclaimer signs, to protect you, in event of damage or theft to or from vehicles.

In the case of sheltered or assisted living environments you may wish to allocate parking spaces to particular flats or people. It is your responsibility to provide a safe site and thus you should consider enforcing a 5mph speed limit and in large sites I have known one way systems to be operated. Exterior way finding signs can be wall mounted if there is appropriately positioned wall.

You should denote disabled bays within your site and mark an area for visiting doctors and ambulances. In the case of sheltered or assisted living environments you may wish to allocate parking spaces to particular flats or people.

Close up first impressions, the first thing your residents and in many cases their relatives are aware of is your entranceway. Over the door or adjacent to the entrance I would place a clear good quality sign displaying the home name and possibly the brand if part of a group. This can be in the form of a composite tray sign, a set of cut out individual Perspex letters or if the budget will allow a nice set of 3D stainless steel letters.

Two sets of glass doors are commonly used at the entrance to a modern care home with the lobby between the providing a barrier against the elements. The glass doors require a manifestation under health and safety regulations but why not instead of the standard 50mm dots brand them with a welcome message and your home name and logo.(it still on forms with health and safety regulations.)

Once entering the Home you can continue to form a good impression with some welcoming graphics on the wall above your reception. These can take the form of printed wall graphics or wall paper, cut out individual letters in Perspex or brushed finish composite and, if the home decor allows, you may consider an edge lit engraved clear acrylic sign.

In your reception area you will also require a home/ lift directory displaying the disposition of the bedrooms and other feature areas (lounges, dining rooms, bars, salon, cinema etc.) You will also need smaller directional signage directing to the rooms and features of the entrance floor.

Different areas of a home, different wings and floors can be given an identity and a colour scheme that will act as an aid memoir to elderly and dementia residents.
Names such as ‘Bluebell Lane’ (Blue) Primrose Walk (Yellow) and ‘Rose Way’ etc are often used.

The directory and directional signage in different areas of the home can be colour coded to compliment the names and decor.
Wayfinding signs can be produced both bi-lingual and tactile with special raised lettering for the visually impaired.

A Residents bedroom is now a residents home, as many have sold their homes to be there, depending on type residents, you can choose to have the doors painted different, but I hope
complimentary, colours add knockers and the faceplate of a letterbox to finish the effect. Memory boxes are another popular addition, especially in dementia homes, where you can
place photos, small items or pictures from the residents past that have special significance.

I feel very strongly that the residents bedroom door signs should be made in such a manner that the resident should not feel temporary i.e. not a scrap of paper with their name on slotted into a small cheap card holder as you would find on a school door. Please see various examples below that ‘The Display Signs Group’ have developed and used successfully in many prestigious homes.

A new build home that is aiming for the lucrative private market must be more like a luxury hotel if it is to compete, don’t forget you are marketing to the relatives who are about 30 years younger than your prospective residents.

A bar and shops make a good feature, a carpenter can reproduce a simplified street exterior and a good sign maker will be able to manufacture signs and window graphics to complete
the scene. Dining Rooms, Lounges and Cinemas can be named and have frosted logos and graphics on the entrance doors as well as illuminated signs to add ambiance.

You can spark some wonderful memories and conversation incorporating local historic street scenes and land marks into your decor. These can be printed on digital wallpaper normally in monochrome and displayed on one feature wall in a room or lounge.

The digital wall covering is installed drops as standard wall paper but now has the advantage of being self-adhesive and repositionable until the adhesive is cured. The wall coverings can be used on any size of wall, with any image either found on the internet or taken on your telephone.

Roller blinds are now available, with printed images or photos and are useful as a simple way of adding interest to a small window. Imagine a picture of a pet dog or cat, a steam train or
even a jar of Bovril.

If you are planning, or are close to completing a new build, extension or major refurbishment of your Care Home, sign specialists such as ‘The Display Signs Group’ offer a
complete ‘design from plan’ service.

If you forward copies of your floor plans to their offices the designers will discuss the project with you to ascertain your target market, determine your colours scheme, any logos or special details (they may ask for some photos of specific areas) and will then propose a scheme that will fit in with both your décor and of course your budget.

They provide an illustration, by way of marked up plans, and of course the all important costs. The design service also extends to a complete package with recommendations for all the
signs needed for your home.

Whilst a small quantity of door or interior signs can be installed by a competent maintenance guy, I would recommend for a major scheme you took advantage of the
installation service offered.

For the interior signs ‘The Display Signs Group’ installers use a variety of installation templates to get all the signs positioned at same height, same relative position to the door
frames etc.

The exterior signs can include excavating sometimes large holes or working at height so again it is better left to the professionals with the correct insurance and training.