The “August” 2021 issue of Alzheimer’s Today (Vol. 16, Number 1), includes an article titled “A guide to Creating a Dementia-Friendly Home.” The article states that most homes are built for young, active, individuals, .. not for the changing needs of older adults. “Dementia-friendly design is about creating a living space that improves the well-being and safety of the person living with dementia, while making caregiving less difficult and more fulfilling for their families.” It suggests the following as features to consider: colors, contrast, lighting and decor as important for adults with dementia. The article also refers readers to the Alzheimer’s Foundation website where you can take a virtual tour of an Alzheimer’s friendly apartment. A similar article, discussing how COVID-19 impacted long-term care facilities, states that persons with dementia account for about 50% or more of all residents in long-term care facilities world-wide and “are vulnerable to infectious diseases due to poor overall lung health and frailty, often compounded by chronic co-morbidities.” It goes on to say that future dementia care must take the triad of care (resident, caregiver/staff, building) into account, as each component must work together to make the model work, which is exactly what dementia-friendly environments are designed to do.
Other Resources:
- Dementia Friendly America
- Dementia-friendly communities (Alzheimer’s Society UK)
- Dementia Friendly Community Toolkit
- Tennessee Dementia Friendly Communities – Toolkit
- Learn How to Design a Dementia-Friendly Living Space
- Universal Design Guidelines: Dementia Friendly Dwellings for People with Dementia, their Families and Carers (National Disability Authority (178 page PDF file – 2015)
- Designing dementia-friendly hospital environments
- Dementia-Friendly Waiting Room
- Making the outside World Dementia-Friendly (Sage Journals)
- Home Modifications for Seniors and Individuals with Special Needs
