Who should benefit from use of communal space?

I am fortunate enough to have visited and worked in some amazing care settings for people living with dementia, both in the UK and Australia. I see intelligently designed spaces with access to landscaped gardens and themed walkways. Internally there are cinemas, coffee shops, bars and beauty salons. We have certainly come a long way from the institutions and the endless dog leg corridors of the not so distant past. Not so much “one size fits all” as “never mind the size so long as we can get as many bedrooms in as possible”. While austere Victoriana and refurbished chaos are in the past, there remains work to do. 

I moved house two years ago. As soon as I moved in, I changed how the spaces in the house had been used by the previous owners to suit my own needs and lifestyle. A dining room has become a study, a play room is now a bedroom. We redefine what our space is for by the way that we choose to use it. Freedom of choice is easy when you live alone. In group living, and on scale, definition and harmony can be a challenge. 

I often ask service managers and staff supporting people living with dementia to identify why a room may have become a lounge or a dining space. Who does the designation or layout of space benefit? It is an interesting question, and one that often generates great conversations and critical reflection.