Design for Health - Creating supportive environments for people living with Dementia

Abstract

Buildings in general, including nursing homes for the elderly, are usually not designed to take into consideration the impacts of dementia on people’s life. This dissertation contains information on the development of guidelines of design principles and aspects while designing for people with dementia. The general objective of this study is to improve the lives of people with dementia by guiding designers and architects on creating/adapting environments that increase people with dementia’s capacity to be more independent and self-confident in their daily lives. After an extensive literature review and case study analysis with a qualitative approach using Content Analysis research method, it was possible to identify and categorize the dementia symptoms that can impact how individuals relate to the environment, as well as design principles and design aspects that should be adopted in the environment for people with dementia. As a concrete outcome, an adaptation guideline was published online in a visually appealing format, making it readily accessible to the public.