Dementia Friendly Buildings

[KenC]

One of our local Universities, has asked a few People with Dementia and Carers to help them with a survey in to Dementia Friendly buildings.

I idea is that we carry a camera with us when we go around hospitals and public places, looking for things which are not dementia friendly.

Once we have found something we photograph it, and send it to the University were it is looked at. Then they get back to the architects in the hope that we can influence the way buildings are designed in the future.

This sounds very exciting and hopefully it will make my designers consider those with the illness in the future.

A lot of this stems from some comments I may about a local art gallery, who have a very large mural in the toilet area. This was so bad that all the doors handles and toilet signs were blended into the mural, and unless a door opened no one knew how to find or indeed get into a toilet. The worst bit was actually finding the correct toilet sign, so that I did not walk into the ladies.


Ken

 

[ella24]

Hi Ken

I find this really interesting too - I work in construction, and managed a build for a specialist social services day and residential centre some time ago and was amazed at what a difference some very minor alterations could make to the occupants of the building.

The building was built and then operated by the same company - so the choices for how to build it were just as important as the choices made for how it would operate - rather than traditional 'build only' contracts, and it really did mean the architects had to get to the grass roots of how it would work....

 

[Grannie G]

It`s great to know the Universoties are asking advice from the right people ken. The penny may have finally dropped.

 

[KenC]

one of the places we are looking at are Hotels, especially those which have full length mirrors. The reason I say that is, because I really hate them. They totally throw us out of gear, as you tend to see doors etc, which are in fact across the room, and if you get up during the night, you may see what you think is a door, until you walk into it with a crack.

Many like myself find full length mirrors to be very disorientating as we see things that are not there, and this can be upsetting.

Another place we are looking is railway train toilets, especially these new ones with the sliding door which go round the corner. The door switch which is on the outside is manageable, but when you get inside the switches are usually on the far back wall, and not somewhere you would look when you wish to get out again.

I came across one of these recently and I confess that I panicked, and it took a while before I realised where the door switch was again.

One day we may get things changed, but I think it will take a while yet.


Ken

 

[Grannie G]

Those toilets on trains are awful Ken.
The last time I went on a train journey with Dhiren I stood at the door and held it slightly open while he was inside, as I was terrified he would feel locked in.

 

[Tender Face]

This fascinates me Ken .... a lot of my hubby’s work is around construction alongside the DDA – tactile paving, hazard warning stepping, directional guidance paving etc– much of it in consultation with the RNIB.

From a personal perspective, my mum (with LBD) found such designs – like blister paving at road crossings - their cambers alone when she was just trying to keep her balance walking along a pavement and not wanting to cross a road (!) – a hazard and impossible to understand and on one occasion I believe contributed to her falling ... and I therefore have to ask how ‘dementia friendly’ can sit alongside, for just one example, ‘partially or non-sighted friendly’ ....?

It is soooo difficult – but would love to know more of this project ..... do we need to declare dementia a ‘disability’ in order for it to achieve some of the lengths and specifications other needs ‘attract’? And if so, how do we get them to sit together within the DDA?

A fascinating idea ...... please keep us updated,
Karen, x

 

[beech mount]

Take care when takeing photos in hospitals etc,you could get arrested!
John.

 

[Linda Mc]

...and the fashion for using foreign languages for Ladies or Gentlemen is also very confusing.

I too had the problem with Vic using the toilet on the train but used to go with him quickly press the close button and jump out then stand guard outside as it would show as being vacant! I then had to guess how long he would be and press open to let him out again!

Linda x