Print This PostAt a conference a few years ago, I met a couple of people from a PPI group who told me about the first dementia-friendly hotel room in Scotland. They’d been involved in consulting on details around this and were (rightly) incredibly proud of the work they’d done. This blew my mind a little bit, the optimist in me so excited that such a step had happened, the pessimist in me surprised that it wasn’t something people had considered on that level previously. But then, had I, a dementia researcher, considered it previously? The honest answer is, not really.
Back in the day when my both of my grans were diagnosed, there was not so much information around the specifics of design for living with dementia, more of an approach of “using your logic”, as my mum would say – get rid of trip hazards, have fun textures to keep hands busy, make it very obvious where the toilet was, and lock doors for safety. This wasn’t necessarily perfect advice, but in the time since, this has become a growing area of exciting and innovative research, and I think one which deserves our attention.
There is a lot of excellent guidance available online, from the likes of the NHS and Alzheimer’s Society, amongst many others. However, if you aren’t familiar with the idea of dementia-friendly living spaces, or how to implement them, hopefully the below will introduce you to the idea and changes that can be made. This isn’t exhaustive by any stretch, but hopefully can provide some ideas for how to alter home spaces for those living with dementia.
- Keep it simple. Cluttered or busy spaces can be particularly challenging to navigate, irrespective of whether you are or are not living with dementia. For those living with dementia, keeping spaces free from clutter makes them easier to navigate, particularly if you have mobility challenges. It can also make it easier for family and carers to navigate anything they are doing to aid the person living with dementia.
- Consistency is key. Once you have established the layout of a room, don’t start moving furniture around, as this can be very confusing.
- Consider reflections and shadows. These can be confusing and scary but are relatively easy to address – don’t have a room full of highly reflective objects and consider how the lighting in the room falls. Natural, even lighting helps to minimise shadows, whereas a table lamp intended to light a whole room is likely to result in an array of shadows on the walls.
- The right flooring. Ideally, have all the flooring the same height – floors that change height can be tricky to navigate if you have issues with perception. When considering carpets, try to make these neutral or block colours – a louder carpet can cause transitions between different-level flooring to be lost. If the floor is not carpeted, ensure that it is non-slip to avoid falls and injuries.
- “Signposting” can be helpful. No, I don’t necessarily mean literal signposting – although this can be helpful for some people (it was the case for both my grans) – but rather purposeful design that helps to “signpost”. Making key items in the room contrasting colours to e.g. the walls and floor can make them easier to find; this can be really effective for the seats and bed and can be accomplished using soft furnishings. Key landmarks for navigation around the house can also be highlighted through design choices.
- Proximity to other important rooms. It is particularly important that the individual living with dementia can navigate to a spacious bathroom nearby (the downstairs loo under the stairs wouldn’t really be suitable). Having this in their eyeline from another room where they spend lots of time, for example the bedroom, also helps to facilitate memories of its location.
- Help nearby. Alarm and/or help buttons should be within reach at key points in a given room. Grab bars and handrails should also be available at regular intervals throughout a room and house.
- Consider objects within a room. The objects within a room should be purposeful in order to minimise clutter, as already discussed. Familiar objects can help with memory and feelings of comfort. Accessorising with soft furnishings can help reduce echoes and other sounds which may be disorientating.
When considering less-oft visited spaces (e.g. public spaces, rather than home ones), similar steps can be taken, with a particular focus on enabling safe walking around the environment, ease of visibility and lack of clutter.
I hope I’ve shown you in this blog that even a small adjustment can have a huge positive impact for a person living with dementia. By considering accessibility for our loved ones, we can empower them to maintain their independence, whilst also making things easier for their caregivers. If you are looking for further advice on this topic, please find an array of resources linked throughout.
Jodi Watt
Author
Dr Jodi Watt is a Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Glasgow. Jodi’s academic interests are in both healthy ageing and neurodegenerative diseases of older age, and they are currently working on drug repurposing for dementia. Previously they worked on understanding structural, metabolic and physiological brain changes with age, as measured using magnetic resonance imaging. As a queer and neurodiverse person, Jodi is also incredibly interested in improving diversity and inclusion practices both within and outside of the academic context.
