Environmental design for people with dementia: charting the gap between theory and practice in the design of new residential facilities

The objectives of this project are to identify the specific gaps between theory and practice (e.g. the failure to avoid over-stimulation or to provide way-finding cues), to discover obstacles to best practice (lack of knowledge, cost, other priorities etc), to develop strategies to overcome the obstacles to best practice and to disseminate these strategies for discussion.

Chief Investigator: Richard Fleming
Collaborative Groups: Dementia Collaborative Research Centre, University of New South Wales
Status: Project completed November 2010

Project Contact Details
HammondCare Research team
P (02) 8280 8444
E research@hammond.com.au

The use of environmental assessment tools for the evaluation of Australian residential facilities for people with dementia

This project evaluated three environmental audit tools to determine their strength and weaknesses in the Australian Environment. The results of this study indicate that there are two alternatives to the use of the Therapeutic Environment Screening Survey for Nursing Homes (TESS-NH) in Australian aged care settings. The Stirling Environmental Assessment Tool (SEAT), which is valid and reliable and provides a great deal of information for guiding discussions on environmental modifications, and the Environmental Assessment Tool (EAT), which is quick and easy to use, valid and reliable and arguably a better measuring instrument than the SEAT, especially if the Highlighting and Familiarity scales are shortened.

Chief Investigator: Richard Fleming
Collaborative Groups: Dementia Collaborative Research Centre, University of New South Wales
Status: Project completed November 2009

Project Contact Details
HammondCare Research team
P (02) 8280 8444
E research@hammond.com.au

Pre and post occupancy evaluation of Southwood cottages

55 high-care residents were relocated within HammonCare services, from Sinclair Home, a "traditional" nursing home environment to Southwood, a small scale home-based model of care. The study monitored the effects of relocation and the new model of care on resident engagement, distress and interaction with staff. Staff work patterns and family satisfaction were also measured. The environments were audited with three separate tools.

The study showed that resident engagement increased following the transition and further increased in the months following staff training. Staff also showed an increase in interactive tasks with residents after the move and again after training. Low rates of distress were recorded in both environments. Southwood cottages scored higher on all domains of the three audit tools, offering a more private, home-like residence. Restraints were not used in Southwood, resulting in a higher level of falls which decreased back to pre-transition levels after a few months. Families of residents were more satisfied with the environment, staff, and food.

Chief Investigator: Ronald Smith
Partner Investigators: Professor Mark Mathews, Meredith Gresham
Collaborative Groups: University of Sydney
Links: To access full text article please click here.
Status: Completed November 2009

Project Contact Details
Ronald Smith
P (02) 9351 9576
E ronald.smith@sydney.edu.auy.edu.au

Meredith Gresham
P (02) 8280 8444
E mgresham@hammond.com.au

A review of the empirical literature on the design of physical environments for people with dementia

This project aimed to identify the principles that will assist designers, architects and planners to provide environments that reduce disability and enhance quality of life of people with dementia. This project also sought to provide a foundation for the discussion of a coherent strategy for encouraging the application of the design principles and the provision of appropriate Assistive Technologies. The results of the project indicate that a reasonable level of certainty that designers and architects may be confident about using unobtrusive safety measures; varying the ambience, size and shape of spaces; providing single rooms; maximizing visual access to important features and providing for stimulus control with the periodic availability of high levels of illumination.

Chief Investigator: Richard Fleming
Collaborative Groups: Dementia Collaborative Research Centre, University of New South Wales
Status: Completed December 2008

Project Contact Details
HammondCare Research team
P (02) 8280 8444
E research@hammond.com.au


Last updated 24 March 2011