Well-designed environments can promote independence, create safe spaces, and provide opportunities for meaningful engagement. They also need to reduce the risk of restrictive practices and pharmacological interventions by not creating barriers and unnecessary stimulation. Design needs to consider a multitude of factors that place the individual, their type of dementia, its progression and complexity at the heart of the environments we create.
Our Research Topic is focused on design that enhances the lives of people with dementia. By investigating innovative strategies, best practices, evidence-based approaches, and the voice of lived experience, we aim to inform about the environments that will optimize well-being, independence, and quality of life as well as support caregivers and healthcare professionals.
This Research Topic welcomes the submission of any type of manuscript supported by the journal (including Original Research, Review, Brief Research Report, etc.) that addresses various aspects of design for people with dementia. The expected content includes, but is not limited to:
– Environmental Design Features: Investigating the features underlying the impact of environmental design on the physical and emotional well-being of a person with dementia. The design strategy may encompass architectural, interior, and outdoor space design.
– Assistive Technologies: Assessing innovative technologies and smart home solutions that can enhance safety, autonomy, and quality of life.
– Psychosocial Aspects: Exploring the social and psychological influences of design on the person, including studies on the effects of design elements on social interaction, mood regulation, cultural inclusion, and quality of life.
– Specialist Services: Design features in specialist services to address the needs of specific cohorts (people with behavioral and psychological symptoms, specific types of dementia, e.g. dementia in Huntington’s disease or alcohol-related dementia, people in the palliative stages of dementia).
– Implementation Strategies: Analysis of design policy and guidelines and assessing strategies and challenges involved in implementing supportive environments in hospitals, care homes, day centers, community settings, and personal residences.
– Staff Training, Education, and Practice: Investigating the importance of staff training and education on environmental design principles and how it can lead to improved care practices and better outcomes.
– Interdisciplinary Approaches: Encouraging collaboration between different disciplines to develop holistic approaches to design. This may involve interdisciplinary studies that integrate insights from neurology, social sciences, psychology, nursing, and psychotherapy.
– Ethical Considerations: Exploring the ethical implications and considerations associated with design, including privacy, autonomy, and the balance between safety and personal freedom.
Manuscripts focused on research in architecture, engineering, technical design, interior design, and similar are not in the scope of this Research Topic.
Articles accepted after peer review will be published and appear online as soon as accepted for publication.
Dr. Nathan D’Cunha has received funding from “Community Home Australia” to support a PhD scholarship. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.