Town planners and architects are being asked to consider the specific needs of people with dementia when it comes to designing Australian cities.
The newly released 2019 Alzheimer Disease International Report has emphasised the need to consider design aspects that allow people with dementia to enjoy their homes and places in the community for as long as possible.
Professor Colm Cunningham, the director of HammondCare’s Dementia Centre, says the design of simple things like public toilets is a good example.
He says if they are not readily available and easily identified, it can ruin a day out for those at risk of incontinence, and it helps if things like contrasting colours are taken into consideration.
Professor Cunningham says: “The list of items that can be better designed with thoughts of dementia is inexhaustible – easy hand-rails, possibly differentiated in colour can help on the bus, avoiding the trend of heavily patterned seating which can be off-putting to a tired eye.”
We already design our businesses to be accessible to people with disability – so why not people living with dementia?
The Professor also has simple ideas for design changes at home that we think are useful:
- In the kitchen reducing clutter by clearing benches and workspaces of occasionally used items and leaving out things that are needed every day such as tea and coffee making items
- Reducing distracting noises such as both a radio and television
- Creating a special, calming space where the person has favourite and familiar items and to which they can retreat if feeling tired or overwhelmed
- Adjusting light levels is a critical issue, remembering that people with dementia and older people generally benefit from more light
- Thinking about what signs and cues would reduce confusion or uncertainty such as in the kitchen (pictures work well as the ability to read words may be lost)
With almost 450,000 Australians living with dementia – and this number expected to grow to over one million by 2058 – good dementia design is something we can all consider.
