WP5: Developing mindful design solutions for the care environment

Objectives

The objective of WP5 is to develop mindful design solutions for the care environment to support social engagement.

O5.1: Identify social episodes/situations where environmental design is of particular importance to people with dementia, and investigate how different environmental dimensions (architecture /atmospherics, objects/displays) can induce affective experiences and impact behaviour.

O5.2: Explore how to grant people with dementia a sense of control over the environment by using dynamic, interactive technologies that allow for their input.

O5.3: Identify and develop physical and technical requirements for the realisation of interventions (informed by WPs 2 and 3), and develop functional prototypes.

O5.4: Identify how environment and person-centred designs can complement each other.

Description of Work

Led by UT, WP5 will complement WP4’s person-centred design focus by looking at the design of the living and work environment of residents and staff with regard to opportunities and obstacles to social engagement and by developing design proposals for the living and work environment.

Task 5.1: Based on data collection with people with dementia, carers, and other stakeholders (WP3), identify and co-explore with them how environmental aspects can encourage or discourage engagement with social interaction, and affect mood and related behavioural consequences.

Task 5.2: Establish which environmental factors can be tailored to individual’s needs (i.e., ambient, interactive technologies) and which environmental factors do not allow for personalization.

Task 5.3: Develop relevant design proposals and prototypes for testing their effectiveness on client comfort and related behavioural measures with end-users in WP6.

Task 5.4: Comparison of scenario and design approaches developed in WP4 and WP5 and their effectiveness on perceptions of personhood, empowerment and social engagement.