Location: Laurentian Main campus, room C-203
Maintaining dignity through design is an important concept, especially for residents of long-term care (LTC) accessing services, many of whom have dementia alongside other geriatric syndromes. Dignity offers older adults opportunities to uphold their personhood and improve their quality of life. Because dementia in particular can affect one’s ability to perform daily living activities, specialized dementia care environments should maximize resident autonomy.
Continuing concerns around dignified care experiences in institutional dementia care settings include multi-faceted etiologies, including care operations and the built environment. User input is often lacking in the design of environments for aging and dementia, which can lead to a disconnect between the initial design intent and the eventual environmental experience.
This presentation examines dignity in dementia care design in order to understand ways in which we can advance a healthy dignified design philosophy for cognitive impairment. Dignity for cultural diversity will be also explored, in addition to an implementation plan to address this concept through design and care operations. Co-production design tools will be suggested as potential strategies to acknowledge those living with dementia as individuals with embodied biographies, capable of communicating their preferences. By understanding the impact of the physical environment on dignity for seniors living with dementia, this session discusses how the production of architecture and the conceptualization of space affect the user experience in a dementia care environment.
Learning Objectives
- Understand how the built environment can affect health and dignity for persons living with dementia.
- Interpret design criteria, principles, and guidelines that promote dignity and care for long-term care with residents with dementia.
- Become aware of design techniques to address cultural diversity in dementia care environments.
- Implement plans for including persons living with dementia in the overall design process.
Dr. Diana Anderson, MD, M.Arch, ACHA, OAQ, is triple board-certified: as a healthcare architect, internal medicine physician, and geriatrician. As a “dochitect,” she combines educational and professional experience in both medicine and architecture. She is a co-founder of the Clinicians for Design group, an international network of leaders that inspires and accelerates the design of environments and systems. A past fellow of the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics, she is an instructor of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine, a clinical Fellow at VA Boston Healthcare System with both research and clinical responsibilities, and a recent recipient of an Alzheimer's Association Clinician Scientist Fellowship. She is a healthcare principal at Jacobs, contributing her thought leadership at the intersection of design and health.
Huda Juma, OAA, M. Arch, MRAIC, PMP, Diploma Health facility planning, Leed, six sigma healthcare, has more than 30 years of experience as an accomplished healthcare architect, combining educational and professional experiences in healthcare building planning /design & construction, P3 projects, equipment planning, long-term care facilities, and project management. Huda contributed to various roles working for national and international reputable firms toward the development of high-quality skills. Currently, she is working for the Ministry of Long-term Care in Ontario.
Dr. Claudia Salgado PhD, OAA, MRAIC, LEED AP has been providing leadership to design and construction teams for more than 15 years, focusing on developing premium senior living residences throughout North America and the United Kingdom. She holds multiple architecture degrees including a bachelor of architecture professional degree and post-graduate degree in design from Lawrence Institute of Technology, as well as a master’s degree in dementia studies from the University of Stirling in Scotland, where she is now concluding a PhD aimed at advancing knowledge on the relationship of architecture and dementia care environments. She has received prestigious academic and professional awards, such as being named Minuoro Yamasaki Scholar and appointed to the Lambda Iota Tau Honour Society. As a licensed architect, she is a member of the OAA, a member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC), a LEED Accredited Professional, and a member of RAIC’s Canada's Age Friendly Housing Options Task Force.