“…[T]his is the first guideline for home designs that I am aware of for dementia friendly dwellings. The guidelines are easy to read, the facts about dementia are accurate and done with a person-centred language. It is well considered and indicates a collaboration of informed and knowledgeable individuals. The guidelines are person-centred but also are considerate of a human-rights based approach. I would definitely like to see these guidelines implemented into future home designs.”
- Expert Review, Universal Design Guidelines: Dementia Friendly Dwellings for People with Dementia, their Families and Carers
TrinityHaus researchers, including lead author Tom Grey, co-author Dimitra Xidous, and co-author/PI Prof Desmond O’Neil are happy to announce that the WHO have approved two sets of guidelines produced by the research centre for inclusion in the Global Dementia Observatory Knowledge Exchange Platform. These include the ‘Universal Design guidelines for Dementia Friendly Dwellings’ and the ‘Universal Design Guidelines for Dementia Friendly Hospitals’.
Over the last several years, TrinityHaus has become one of Ireland’s leading research centres working in the area or Universal Design (UD). TrinityHaus has built a strong relationship with Ireland’s national Centre for Excellence in Universal Design (CEUD) resulting in numerous UD built environment research projects across various sectors from housing to health.
Enshrined in Irish legislation, UD is the “design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability”. With this statutory basis, UD is key to Irish policy ranging from housing and transport, to education, health, and social care.
Universal Design Guidelines: Dementia Friendly Dwellings for People with Dementia, their Families and Carers (2015) were funded by CEUD. These guidelines will inform national policy and be used in practice by all stakeholders – those who commission, design, build, provide and occupy dwellings. If new dwellings or alterations to existing dwellings are built in line with a Universal Design dementia friendly approach, then they will help people to remain living at home and in their community independently and safely for as long as possible (Authors: Tom Grey, Maria Pierce, Suzanne Cahill, and Mark Dyer).
Access the UD Guidelines for Dementia Friendly Dwellings, here: https://globaldementia.org/en/resource/universal-design-guidelines-dementia-friendly-dwellings-for-people-with-dementia-their-families-and-carers
Dementia Friendly Hospitals from a Universal Design Approach (2018) – Funded by the Health Research Board, this research examined how the physical hospital environment might provide a better experience for people with dementia, and how hospitals can be designed to enable family members and carers to provide support for the person with dementia throughout their visit to the hospital. It underpins these guidelines to provide detailed guidance in relation to dementia specific design issues and the Universal Design of dementia friendly hospitals (Authors: Tom Grey, Dimitra Xidous, Prof. Sean Kennelly, Sean Mahon, Victoria Mannion, Paul de Freine, Derek Dockrell, Anna de Siún, Neil Murphy, Dr. Ger Craddock and Prof. Desmond O'Neill).
Access the UD Guidelines for Dementia Friendly Hospitals, here: https://globaldementia.org/en/resource/dementia-friendly-hospitals-from-a-universal-design-approach
“These comprehensive, evidence-informed design guidelines provide detailed guidance to create person-centered, enabling, and inclusive built environments that can help mitigate environmental challenges for people with dementia and others experiencing disability, mobility or sensory difficulties, and may contribute to better health outcomes by supporting the dignity, independence and wellbeing of patients, visitors and care providers.”
– Expert review, Dementia Friendly Hospitals from a Universal Design Approach.