Smarter Homes
for the Future –
Dementia
Friendly Design
Gillian Butler
Wellbeing Facilitator
Multidisciplinary Service
Role of the Dementia Services
Development Centre
 Founded
in 1989 at
the University Of
Stirling to extend
and improve
services for people
with dementia
 Purpose built to
demonstrate
dementia friendly
design
Most people with dementia
are older
 They
have the physical impairments which
are common in later life
 They often have additional conditions
 They may not understand they have these
impairments
 Optimal health is really important
Older people – ageing process
Physical
changes
Presbyopia
Presbyacusis
Short term memory loss
Physical changes
 Reduction
in height
 Reduced muscle
strength
 Joint problems
 Balance problems
 Increased risk of
falls…….
Falls…..




Compared with
older people without
dementia, those with
dementia are:Twice as likely to fall
Three times as likely
to fracture a bone
Have a poorer
prognosis / recovery
Presbyopia
 “long-sightedness
caused
by loss of elasticity of the
lens of the eye, occurring
typically in middle and old
age”
 increased
sensitivity to glare
 reduced peripheral vision
 reduced sensitivity to
contrasts
 reduced speed of adapting
to change in light level
 reduced visual acuity
 reduced depth perception
Colour perception
 altered
perception of colour i.e. being less
able to discriminate between pale
colours / pastels (also have difficulty in
perceiving colours from the blue / purple
end of the spectrum)
Presbyacusis



“Age-related hearing loss
with gradually progressive
inability to hear”
about 30-35 percent of
adults age 65 and older
have a hearing loss.
Characteristically,
involves bilateral highfrequency hearing loss
associated with difficulty
in speech discrimination
and central auditory
processing of information.
Close your eyes – what can
you hear?
 We
all know how hard it is to concentrate
properly when there is an irritating noise in
the background
 The person with dementia has an impaired
capacity to think and rationalise sights and
sounds so we need to give them all the help
we can with this.
Short term memory loss
 ……and
the effect of this on communication….
What can we do to help our clients?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Use daylight wherever
possible, for example:cut back trees / bushes
outside windows
remove ‘nets or blinds’
install rails that allow curtains
to be opened fully beyond
the edge of the windows
Ensure windows are clean
Why is it important to use
daylight whenever possible?
Orientation to day and night –
how can we help?
 Use
of black-out blinds / curtains at night
 Use of a ‘day / night clock’
The importance of getting outside?
 Use
lightweight
fabrics
 Light to twice
‘normal’ levels
 Good uniformity &
light on ceilings
and walls
 Avoid sudden
changes in light
level
 Reduce glare
 Avoid
patterns which represent real life
objects e.g. leaves or flowers
Avoid
patterned stair carpets
Highlight edges of steps and
ramps

Declutter if / as necessary

Try not to introduce new things for the person to learn if
it is not necessary
Have impairments of eyesight and hearing been
addressed?

Think ‘reflection and contrast’
 Reflections…..
 People
with dementia may see reflections
on the floor as pools of water
 People
with dementia may see changes
of floor finish as steps
Contrast
 Colour
and contrast can be used to help people
with sight loss and dementia to identify key
features and rooms. Good use of colour and
contrast can facilitate independent living, for
example, by supporting people to find their way
around and to use fixtures and facilities such as
lighting unassisted.
 Use
contrasting colours on doors and
skirting boards
Except when?.....
 When
you need to make a door less
obvious
 – how could you do this?
 You
need to ‘hide’ a cupboard e.g.
containing bleach etc
Use of contrast
 Bear
in mind that due to natural thickening of the
lens of the eye with age, older people may
experience colours as ‘washed out’ and find
blues, greens and purples harder to differentiate.
Make the toilet as easily
accessible as possible….
 …..especially
at night? – how?
 ….. In an ideal world – an en-suite
toilet
 ….. In the real world – use of night
lights with motion sensor / infra-red
sensor
 Use of commode at bedside? – pros
/ cons?
Kitchens
 Good
layout and
design of
kitchens can
make
preparation of
food and drink
easier and thus
facilitate
independent
living for people
with sight loss
and dementia.
Use of good signage:
buy it?
 Or
DIY? – some
research has
shown that labels /
signs made by the
person themselves
can have much
more meaning and
be more effective
 Well
designed fixtures and fittings can facilitate
independent living.
Redecorating?
Be
VERY careful when
redecorating….
Why?
Last but not least…..Use of
assistive technology
Some assistive technology
In conclusion



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The person with dementa has a great deal to
contend with as they start to have some
difficulties in doing normal things over time.
Keeping things as familiar as possible is
important.
However some simple changes can help to
make things easier.
Very useful website:- www.dementia.stir.ac.uk
Hopefully this works…
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnIRe
QqR5LQ
Thank you for listening
Any
questions?