How to Design an Aged Care Room for Dementia
You probably already know some of the challenges of dementia. Dementia patients not only forget things, they also forget what things are for. Food and other objects become foreign to them. The process of forgetting is frustrating for both patient and caregiver. Designing a room that employs safety and security, while maintaining familiar surroundings and limited independence, is a challenge. Dementia patients function like young children, but with full-sized, full-strength adult bodies. Memory comes and goes, and what works one day may not the next. Creating a workable design is a process. Be patient. Be self-forgiving.
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Things You'll Need
- Dementia specific books
- Solid surface flooring
- Safety glass
- Door/ window alarms
- Individual monitoring device
Instructions
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Educate yourself. Read books and articles about dementia, the dementia process, its causes, cures, and treatment. Consult doctors, nurses and other professionals working with your loved one. They can give you patient specific suggestions. Join support groups and ask questions. Know your loved one. No two dementia patients are alike. There are patterns that dementia patients repeat, and often their concerns remain constant. You will need to know these things in designing a room for them.
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Design for safety. Incorporate break-resistant materials into your design. Choose windows, doors, mirrors, pictures frames, etc. made with safety glass. Control the use of objects that can be inserted into mouths or other orifices, or thrown. Windows should not open far enough for escape and outside doors should be secure at all times, with monitoring devices and alarms in place. Faucets should have anti-scalding devices. A shower should replace a tub.
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Reduce clutter. Choose a few warm, friendly, familiar objects from the patient's past to incorporate into the room, but only a few. Clutter creates confusion and may frustrate the patient, causing erratic behavior. Incorporate soothing influences into the environment.
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Choose solid, easily cleanable surfaces as part of your room design. A dementia patient's room must be easily cleanable. Loss of bladder control and spillage of food and other items are common. Surfaces should facilitate clean-up. Install tile, linoleum or other solid surface flooring, not carpet. Many mobile patients also like to pace. The fewer impediments they have the better. Easily cleanable furniture is also a must. Choose comfortable furniture that is stiff enough to allow for mobility.
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Tips & Warnings
Quiet, era-friendly music can help reduce confusion. Large amounts of music can be stored on small players that can be controlled from another room. Volume should be kept at a minimum. TV can also increase frustration. Reduce negative stimulation. Increase stimulation that encourages memory maintenance without frustration, such as simple memory games or sing-a-longs. Maintain regular exercise as directed by your physician. Take your patient on walks outside, talk about the environment; you will be surprised what they notice.
Monitor patient activity. Minimize time spent alone. Much can happen in a short time. You may want to consider a personal monitoring device. Dementia patients like anyone else will deteriorate quickly with lack of activity.
