Dementia Design Forum

Photo by Luiz Medeiros For th e last 13 years I’ve spent mo st of my time and effort designing products to support people living with dementi a, and one of the first things I learnt was how changes in visual perception are critically influential. My initial dementia-design challe nge was creating internal signs that were highly visible and easier to interpret for people who live with dementia. Essentially I created two types: signs for toilets and bathrooms, and signs that enable people to identify their own room. My d esigns have been used all around the world and there are literally millions of examples whi ch observe this design – the difference tends to be the quality of materials and execution but they all follow the same visual construct. Working with the signage took me all over the place and I met some brilliant people, literally. One particularly brilliant University professor in Scotland was responsible for my reminiscence epiphany! The first time we met we talked for may...

Part 1: Are you missing an opportunity?  Unfortunately the answer is almost certainly 'yes'. It surprises me to think I’ve been involved in professional imaging for over 30 years, but at least that means I should know a thing or two about Visual Imaging or ‘Pictures’ as we usually refer to them. One thing I realised a long time ago is how quickly they can become invisible. Not in the Harry Potter sense of course, but in the sense that we can become oblivious to their presence and they effectively vanish.  Think for a moment; you will have pictures in your daily surroundings that you simply don’t notice any more. Pictures you see every day but no longer register their presence.   On the other hand you may also have pictures you always notice, and these are the ones which are interesting for some reason or another. Chances are they’ll always attract your attention because you have a connection with them. In the dementia care setting there is a colossal opportun...

                                   Personalised signage has inevitably been my pet subject for many years!  I'm re-posting this blog from The Care Home Designer website because it's such a clean, honest product that does exactly what it should.  Watch the video here or visit the original post: https://bit.ly/2CEPlYI It's amusing that potential customers don't realise the sign can be personalised and updated so easily yet the result is professional and looks permanent.  The ease with which the user can ensure the right information is always on display is tackled with an engaging short video that's well worth 1 minute and 59 seconds of anyones time if they're considering using personalised signage. There are five other layouts in the range so should be something there to suit everyone.  I think shipping to the US is also an option too. Apologies for the long break between posts! I...

I discovered an American blog today called Dementia By Day that belongs to a Dementia Care Consultant: Rebecca Wonderlin. I've put a link to her site in my Blogroll and I wanted to share this list she wrote a couple of years ago. It doesn't strictly relate to design but it struck me as being very well worded an straighforward, not to mention very appropriate. I think it speaks well for most of us. If I get dementia, I’d like my family to hang this wish list up on the wall where I live; 1. If I get dementia, I want my friends and family to embrace my reality. If I think my spouse is still alive, or if I think we’re visiting my parents for dinner, let me believe those things. I’ll be much happier for it. 2. If I get dementia, I don’t want to be treated like a child. Talk to me like the adult that I am. 3. If I get dementia, I still want to enjoy the things that I’ve always enjoyed. Help me find a way to exercise, read, and visit with friends. 4. If I get dementia, ask me to tell ...

When it comes to the environment it is the most influential and the most overlooked asset any care home has.  That’s not to say there aren’t some really good examples such as the #Sunrise property in Edgbaston. Great team, great philosophy, great building, and the management has followed through within the home and at senior level. I’ve worked there recently myself and there’s a mind-set of constant improvement at this home.  If there’s a downside, homes like this charge a premium. But that’s the point, this type of care home environment is only available at a premium. It shouldn’t and needn’t be that way.  Stimulating and appropriate environments can be made available in every home. In every home there are opportunities to use the available space to reinforce the locality (sense of place) and reflect the profile of the population to create an engaging and relevant environment.  May I strenuously point out at this juncture that this need not be an expensive exerc...

Colour and the Psychology of Colour Part 2 The other day we were discussing publishing something as ‘Part 1’ or ‘First Edition’ and how often Part 2 never seems to materialise, newsletters being the most common example! Well guess what, here we are with Part 2 of my post on colour, dementia and how they relate. “Where’s your evidence?” In the early days I was right out on a limb and presenting my designs to Hospitals and Care Homes around the country (and occasionally abroad) and I was often challenged with this question. It was   a fair question and I became fairly adept at dealing with it. The problem was always that I had to say I didn’t have any evidence to support the effectiveness of the signs. Instead I would refer to research about colour and text etc in relation to people with dementia and explain how the products had been designed to accommodate the findings. It seemed to work in most situations, and it was good fun too. I’ve always enjoyed being challen...