Designing for Dementia

"The design of the built environment can have a profound impact on how a person with dementia perceives, experiences and engages with the places and spaces in which they live," writes Lesley Palmer, Chief Architect at the University of Stirling's Dementia Services Development Centre.

But "Research has shown that rather than drawing upon the experiences of older people, their families and care professions, architects designing for later life are more likely to draw upon presumed needs and experiences of the older person as imagined by themselves."

To more appropriately design for people living with dementia, "Dementia design is a non-medical approach to help reduce some of the symptoms associated with dementia, such as agitation, aggression, confusion, incontinence and visual, spatial and navigational difficulties."

This approach, which was first developed in the 1980s in Australia, incorporates some key concepts: "it should compensate for disability, maximise independence and enhance self-esteem and confidence. It should also demonstrate care for staff needs, be orientating and understandable, reinforce personal identity, welcome relatives and the local community, and allow control of stimuli – for example, reducing unwanted noises associated with alarm systems."

Early advocates for dementia design, writes Palmer, called for viewing dementia as a disability rather than a disease with the goal of designing spaces that help people maintain everyday functions. "I believe it would also be helpful to recognise dementia as a public health issue and use design to address some of the challenges this brings," Palmer continues. "This would enable architects and planners to integrate dementia-design principles in a similar fashion to the way in which the Disability Discrimination Act supported people with physical disabilities."