Muncie, IN (WFN) -- In some cases, a little bit of interior design may be all that stands between an Alzheimer's patient and a nursing home.

That's according to the interior design experts at Ball State University in Indiana, who have launched two websites containing decoration tips for the homes of people with Alzheimer's.

The purpose is to create living environments that can postpone patients moving to assisted-living facilities for as long as possible.

For instance, painting the rooms of a house different colors can help patients recognize which room they are in, but patterned carpets or tile floors can create confusion because they create instability.

Ball State professor Reza Ahmadi also says painting door frames or baseboards a different color than the wall is a bad idea, because it makes the wood framing look like a step.

Unfortunately, he says there's no set amount of time that interior designs can delay the need for patients to seek assisted living and it needs to be decided on a case-by-case basis.

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