Designing for dementia JMT – architect, designer for older people, now full time in research. Chair of residential home Quality of place to promote well being The ageing population is one of the great success stories of our times; it is a world wide phenomenon. We should treat it as something to celebrate. More often it is seen as a problem. Being an architect I am obsessed with buildings. As I see it buildings have an enormous influence on the ageing process - either fro good or for ill. They are blamed (quite rightly) when they don’t fit – we talk of disabling environments. I am interested in making them work to enhance old age. Judith Torrington University of Sheffield School of Architecture EXTRA CARE HOUSING AND DEMENTIA CONFERENCE Tuesday 15th November 2005 Fielder Conference Centre Hatfield
Formal support network Person factors Formal support network Social network experiences meaning Physical environment Well-being model Aspirations
Everyone is a house with four rooms – a physical, a mental, an emotional and a spiritual. Most of us live in one room most of the time, but unless we go into each room every day, if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person Rumer Godden
Design parameters Support for the person Support for old age Support for cognitive impairment Privacy Personalisation Dignity Choice Autonomy Preservation of functional ability Support for frailty Health safety and security Orientation Awareness Normalness Support for dementia related behaviour
Quality of life Low dependency safety & health community comfort physical support High dependency physical support choice & control comfort personal-isation
Quality of life Staff personalisation normalness
Safety and security
Support for activity
Finding the way
‘street’
Community and society Where people go Patchy take up of services Local shopping v supermarket Air travel market Community and society
Bring me sunshine Buildings can compensate for more restrictive lifestyles.
Light, view, transparency
Colour to camouflage to highlight
Colour soft co-ordinated colour pattern free soothing absence of glare matt or satin paint finish pictures of local landmarks
Meaning of space It is clear that some residents do not feel ‘at home’ because they worry about paying for their meals when they go into the dining room ..she goes in for her dinner, her tea. “I can’t have any. I haven’t paid for it. I haven’t got any money to pay for it;” they might have done it for 70, 80 years …And now all of a sudden it’s all done for them……(relative).
Mixed messages
Home like
Home like? x4
Use of buildings
Spaces with meaning
Formal support network Person factors Formal support network Social network experiences meaning Physical environment Selection and evaluation tool kits Aspirations
Gradmann Haus Herrmann and Bosch with Demenz Support Stuttgart
Johanniterstift, Plochingen remodelled by Demenz Support Stuttgart