DEMENTIA DESIGN


less, you’ll be much calmer, and it won’t be as frightening. Research tells us that what people


don’t talk about is the fact dementia impacts on social isolation, self- esteem, and a person’s feeling of loss of control. If we provide environments that are designed well, those environments will give people the opportunities to engage in things that are important to them. A well-designed chair and table will


potentially enable somebody to eat independently, engage in a creative activity, or hold a conversation with someone else in a space in which they want to engage.


Q. Have you any practical advice for


people looking to utilise design to support people with dementia? A. Every dementia sufferer experiences a perceptual problem and that’s the biggest challenge. Most people think its memory or


communication, but very few people think about perception. A person with dementia will not see a


white grab rail on a white wall; a white plate on a white table; or a white toilet in a white bathroom. In care environments having things


that stay in the same position, like a plant in the corner, is really important because the minute it moves that’s when people become disorientated. So, actually, design can support perception and be incredibly enabling. Design could be as simple as


different-colour seating to the carpet, or a different-colour table to the plates. Whatever it might be, you cannot


underestimate the importance and power design has in orientating people in a good way.


Q. What myths are out there about design for dementia? A. That there are ready-made care environments for dementia, that everyone is the same, and that everyone will need the same things. Don’t make assumptions that


people with dementia are all the same. A dementia environment should be a flourishing environment, not a contained environment. Design will fall down if these assumptions are made. A fireplace at the end of a room does not mean the room becomes ‘like home’ for people. Design should make no assumptions,


but rather engage the person in design decisions to provide a person-centred approach that enables each and every individual.


Defining individual spaces can be


reflected in the little things. It’s the difference between sleeping in a hotel room or in your own home. It’s at the heart. Design will enable us and determine what we can do. Work with people with dementia,


discuss with them, and draw on their expertise.


Older people are an amazing asset.


They’re an amazing resource, and we need to look at how we position older people, whether they’re living at home or care homes, as experts at ageing - we really need to listen to that.


www.shackletonsltd.co.uk


T


aking this advice on board, Shackletons was very mindful of adopting a person-centred


approach to design during a recent dementia-friendly refurbishment for Chester-based dementia care specialist, Vivo Care Choices. Vivo hired Shackletons to transform


the tired and dated interior of a dementia day, respite and short-break care facility to improve wellbeing and cognitive function among its service users. The work provided dementia-


friendly furniture, soft furnishings, and specialist reminiscence artwork acting as landmarks and key references to create an orientating, calmer and more- peaceful space. “I have had really positive feedback


with regards to the furniture quality, design and colour choices made,” said Gary Hayward, business development officer at Vivo Care Choices. “It was reported there was a calmer atmosphere within the service.” In addition, a collaborative project with healthcare interior design specialist, HomeSmiths, created a more-homely and less-clinical approach to interiors for dementia care at Poole care home, The Lindsay. Together HomeSmiths and


Shackletons provided an environment that would encourage residents to positively engage with where they live by enabling freedom of movement. The interior space was designed to


provide a safe and easily-navigable environment that would enable independence Carefully-considered textures


and colours of soft furnishings and upholstery were selected to provide stimulation, as well as aid memory. Chairs were provided in different heights and sizes, not just to accommodate personal preference, but also to ensure the chairs offered the right support for the physical and cognitive needs of residents. “By developing an interior that


provides physical support through carefully-considered furniture, residents have a place to spend time safely and securely without fear of making a mistake, getting lost, or falling over”, said Jacqui Smith, director of HomeSmiths. “Resident satisfaction is high and


everyone who spends time in the home responds positively.”


www.vivocarechoices.co.uk www.homesmiths.co.uk


mhdf magazine 15


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