Design for Dementia - Helen Hamlyn Centre - Royal College of Art

DESIGN FOR DEMENTIA
CARE AND EATING
Noise levels can be controlled by using sound
absorbent materials in the space. Items such
as curtains and other soft materials can
reduce noise. In some European care homes,
cork is used as flooring as it looks very
domestic, is cleanable but is also sound
absorbent and absorbs impact if a person
falls. For residents who may need a toilet due
to incontinence, locating a toilet near to the
dining room is advisable. This offers reassurance
and allows people who have limited
mobility to feel more comfortable about eating
with others in a social space.
Inclusive Table
–
Care homes cater for people of varying levels
of mobility. Very often there is a substantial
number of wheelchair users in a home but
the dining tables cannot accommodate a
wheel chair. They have central columns or
support structures which prevent wheelchair
arms from clearing the underside of the table.
This means that wheelchair users cannot sit
close enough to the food, making the task of
eating more difficult and often resulting in
embarrassing spillages.
The table designed as part of this
project is flat bottomed and at a height of
74cm allowing most types of wheelchairs to
fit underneath. It is square so that it can be
joined with other tables or used on its own.
This gives a degree of flexibility which
allows residents to eat in smaller groups
or be brought together in larger groups
on special occasions such as Christmas.
The edges are rounded to be more tactile
and limit impact damage should anyone
be unfortunate enough to fall and connect
with the table on their way down. The table
surface is also contrasted to its edges to help
people with low vision.
Inclusive Light
–
Good quality lighting is essential in dining
areas to ensure that older residents with
degrees of visual impairment can comfortably
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enjoy their meal. Important issues to be
considered include lighting levels, glare, depth
of perception and flexibility. The example
shown on the following page has adopted
these into a single retrofit light that can be
fitted in existing environments.
Studies have shown that older individuals
can require three times as much light
as younger individuals. 7 This fitting uses a
powerful bulb and dimmer so that each table
can be tuned to the needs of the people sitting
at it. The light can be adjusted from 400
to 1200 Lux catering for a range of demands.
For older people who might have
decreased pupil reaction time and less
elasticity of the lens, adapting quickly to
changes in lighting level can become more
difficult and create a sensitivity to glare. 8 The
light includes an acrylic diffuser to alleviate
this problem so that the eye is never exposed
to a naked bulb.
It is important to be able to retract the
light to the ceiling or move it if the layout of
the room changes. The fitting therefore has
a central cable that uses a hook and pulley
system allowing it to be temporarily moved
for dining events or permanently moved by
repositioning the hook.
–
7. Jennifer A Brush,
Margaret P. Calkins,
Design for Dining,
Building ideas,
Alzhiemer’s Care
Quarterly, January–
March, 2003, p75
–
8. Baucom AH. Hospitality
Design for the Graying
Generation, John Wiley &
Sons, 1996, p21
DINING AREA
–
Dinning area including kitchen, toilets
and movable screens (shown in green).