Looking for simple changes to your spaces that will lead to better engagement with people in your care? Here are five ideas that fit the bill...
For 30 years, The Dementia Centre has been sharing our approach to dementia-enabling design, working with other organisations to improve all of our spaces for people living with cognitive impairment.
You may know that our 'small household' design model has been proven in practice to lead to better quality of life for aged care residents living with dementia.
But do you know why?
The design and engagement connection
Good design is intimately tied to improved engagement, and a decreased occurrence of the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) that lead to poorer quality of life.
A better physical environment allows for a better social environment by:
- improving autonomy and accessibility for residents, which
- reduces agitation and frustration, thereby
- supporting care teams to improve engagement and wellbeing.
The two go hand in hand - physical spaces impact the way people respond to their environment, meaning good design underpins high-quality whole-person care.
The Dementia Centre's Design Lead, Daniel Jameson, said this connection has fed into every aspect of their approach, citing the development of the domestic-style kitchen as an example.
"When we first started designing these cottages, the kitchens originally looked like they were fully functioning, but weren't used that way - they were more like serveries for food prepared at one central kitchen, and residents couldn't access the space," Daniel said.
"But that didn't feel like what would happen in someone's home, and we realised we needed to find ways to improve that experience.
That didn't feel like what would happen in someone's home, and we realised we needed to find ways to improve that experience.
"We want to enable our team to operate less institutionally, and give residents choice, so we started having the team prepare meals in the cottage, encouraging residents to participate.
"Residents are intuitively cued that the meal is coming and engage better with the meal, and if a residents wants to eat an another time, we can accommodate that, too."
Daniel highlighted five design tips that help improve engagement, without necessarily having to go back to the drawing board.
Small changes, big wins
- If a full domestic kitchen isn't achievable in your space, is there an area you could turn into a kitchenette? A sink, a mini-fridge and an electric jug, along with tea and coffee supplies, glasses and a fruit bowl, cue residents to what they can do there, promoting independence. And even a small amount of food preparation in the space - peeling, chopping, kneading or mixing, or even sitting nearby during the meal preparation - can bring meaning and purpose.
- Something as small as the way you arrange your chairs can make a difference to people with dementia. Chairs set up in a row feel institutional, like a doctor's waiting room, and reduce opportunities for social interaction. Chairs arranged in small groups around a coffee table, just like in your own home, encourage connection and feel familiar and comfortable.
- Making a separate space for watching television can have a big impact. Often, a tv is loud and overpowering in a lounge room, discouraging conversation and other activities. If you separate the tv acoustically, this will also help people actually listen to and engage with the the program they're watching, while preserving acoustic comfort for residents in the lounge.
- Want to get people using and interacting with your outdoor space? Consider getting rid of your closed shed. Locking the garden tools behind the door of a little shed means they won't be noticed and used. An open potting shed (really, a covered set of shelves) encourages residents to independently engage with garden activities such as raking or planting.
- Get to know your residents well, and provide a space where activities related to their lives can sit. Was one of your residents a pilot? Get hold of a jigsaw puzzle with planes on it. Does a resident enjoy knitting? Keep a basket of needles and wool visible and available. Familiar items like these can promote meaningful engagement and interaction.
Find out how you can make your own spaces better for people living with dementia at our Dementia Design Schools, book an engagement workshop for your team, or ask about our consultancy services.
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