I was thrilled to be asked to contribute to the OT Magazine recently with an article on a bath I designed for the less able. The following is the article as it appeared in the May-June edition 2017.
Using task analysis for product design
Category: Dementia/Alzheimer’s
Designing homes for people with Alzheimer’s
We were approached by an international architect asking for support with the design of block of flats. Our advice was vital as the flats were intended for clients with Alzheimer’s, a condition that means sufferers find life in ‘normal’ homes extremely challenging. Our recommendations included:
Designing bathrooms for people with dementia
When people are first diagnosed with dementia their symptoms may not seem too severe. However, as dementia progresses suffers can become confused about the location of rooms within their home. The impairment in visual perception that coincides with dementia and Alzheimer’s has an additional impact.
Interior design for people with dementia
Many people think that when designing for people with disabilities the primary aim is to address physical impairments. However, we know that both dementia has an effect on our ability to process visual information, severely affecting our visual perception.