Dutch care environments for people with dementia

Dutch care environments for people with dementia: impressions from the perspectives of an architect and a gerontologist

Shannon, Kay (Auckland University of Technology)
Jürgenhake, Birgit (TU Delft Space & Type)

2020

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss Dutch innovative care environments for older people, including those living with dementia, from the perspectives or an architect and a social gerontologist. Design/methodology/approach: The authors visited three care environments for older people, each offering an innovative approach to living housing older people, including people with dementia. The settings are discussed from two disciplinary perspectives, facilitating an understanding of the influence of the built environment on daily life for residents. Findings: The three facilities were all architecturally varied and resembled “real” homes to varying degrees. Additionally, each entrance offered a different welcome to the external community, ranging from full accessibility to a closed and fortified appearance. Within each facility, the built environment afforded residents opportunities to participate in valued activities, including interacting with members of the wider community. Originality/value: The inclusion of two disciplinary perspectives offers a richer discussion of the physical and social aspects of the care environments that would be offered by one perspective alone.

Aged care facilities
Dementia care environments
Dementia care farm
Dementia village
Older people
Valued activities

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:4d7a03a3-5b85-4dc7-9425-036559383ded

https://doi.org/10.1108/WWOP-01-2020-0002

1366-3666

Working with Older People, 24 (2), 143-147

Accepted Author Manuscript

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2020 Kay Shannon, Birgit Jürgenhake