Creating a Safe and Friendly Place for a Person with Dementia
Look, Listen & Feel Looking at the Role the Environment Has on Abilities & Behavior
Supportive Environments Include 2 Factors –What you LIKE…
Supportive Environments Include 2 Factors –What you LIKE… –What’s GOOD for you!
Supportive Environments The 3 Positive P’s P hysical Environment P eople—the ways they act and respond P rogramming
Finding Balance Support or impair Too much or too little
The Supportive Sensory Environment What you Hear What you See What you Smell/Taste What you Feel
What you Hear
SupportsImpairs Quiet Purposeful music Familiar cues Positive human sounds Constant background noise Intrusive sounds Care noise Negative human noise
What we See
Can you See?
SupportsImpairs Bright light Non-Glare light Directed at work area Directed up-diffused Dim light Inconsistent light Glaring light Light in eyes
What can you SEE? Visual Cues Too much Too little
Visual Cues Where to be What to do Orienting to place Orienting to task
Too Much Dangerous items Clutter Too Busy Where’s the focus
Too Little Sterile or Cold Hidden cues Lack of contrast
What we Smell/Taste Affects… –Appetite –Social interactions –Quality of life
SupportImpair Food Calming scents Stimulating scents Waste odors Medicinal odors Cleaning odors Perfumes
What you FEEL Temperature Surfaces Spaces
Temperature Very individual Older/colder? Disease states Type of activity
Surfaces SupportImpair Safe and stable Right height Flexible Activity based Very mobile Dangerous to touch “Functional”
Spaces Familiar Friendly Functional Forgiving
Supportive Environment What you LIKE What you NEED Would you?
Can You See Why….
Environments Can Support Life! Use them Wisely
One Story… What NEEDED to change in the PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT… 1st - the LIGHTS And the EXIT DOOR
How it was… the Activity Room
The Nurse’s Station - The FORTRESS
The ‘Kitchen’...
Why the Lights? Because the amount of light needed to see the same amount increases with age Because lack of light increases fall risk Because lack of light keeps people from using their hands Because lack of light limits oral intake Because lack of light is depressing
Add Lights... BETTER … but still a FORTRESS!
Creating People Space
Why the EXIT? It was either a DEAD END and people got stuck there … OR People wanted to leave with visitors People saw the door and tried to go out People followed others off the unit There was nothing else down that hall but a way out….
Instead … a Bookshelf
Then WHAT???? What else is NOT working???? What is not helping? What feels wrong?
What are the MAIN problems? Flooring - looks like holes Glare - from the windows Lack of definition - what’s this place for? Work surfaces - what can I do here? Furniture - Where can I visit? No conversational spaces - ‘line-up’ On the edges - not the focus of space...
Instead … a Fun ‘to be’ Place
Instead … a Meaningful Place
The fortress comes down...
Better … but a little cold looking
A Dining Space & Place
Activity Space without definition
Making dedicated space...
Look at it NOW!
What does it say?
Environment in USE!
The nurse’s station is in it’s place --- supporting care NOT being the center of it!
Not a fortress… a Place to be
Now for the GEMS… Diamonds Emeralds Ambers Rubies Pearls
Gems slide show