Introducing a designing attitude in dementia care

Abstract

This paper discusses howdesigncanenhance the wellbeing ofpeople living with dementia, their carers and caregivers. It refers to two examples of recent design research that focus on supporting the provision and facilitation of appropriate activitiesand environmentsfor individuals with advanced dementiain residentialcare.The projects use interdisciplinary co-­‐design approaches and ethnographic methods to establish new knowledge anddevelop user-­‐centred design solutions to improvecare. Questioning how design research can create sustainable impact on the lives of those affected by dementia, the paper concludes that active involvement and continued participation of users, carers and care practitioners in the design process is essential. Training on design skills and making willenablecarersto adapt a designing attitude. Exploring how such trainingcan bedelivered is a chance for the design community, in collaboration with experts from health care, to takethe lead in solving this problem