Top 10: design principles for dementia-friendly environments

Top 10: design principles for dementia-friendly environments

Architect Kirsty Bennett, manager of environmental design education services at the NSW/ACT Dementia Training Study Centre (DTSC),  said it was a myth that providers had to be simplistic when it came to designing dementia-friendly environments.

“Bland, boring, repetitive environments are actually really confusing for a person with dementia,” Ms Bennett told the Leading Aged Services Australia Tri-State conference last week.

Making an environment more dementia-friendly didn’t necessarily have to involve calling in the builders, and can be as simple as rearranging furniture, says expert.

Dementia-friendly design not only enhances the wellbeing of residents living with dementia but enables aged care providers to create sustainable environments.

Top 10: design principles for dementia-friendly environments