The important role of dementia friendly interiors

According to the Alzheimer’s Society, an estimated 850,000 people in the UK currently live with dementia and this figure is set to rise to more than one million by 2025.1Dementia is an umbrella term that describes a range of progressive neurological conditions that affect how the brain works and in particular the ability to remember, think and reason. While it is not a consequence of ageing, the risk of developing dementia increases with age; statistics suggest that one in 14 people over the age of 65 will develop the condition.2 

Although changes are often small to begin with, they may become severe enough to impact on a person’s daily life and symptoms of the condition alongside other age related impairments may result in a higher rate of dependency. As older people’s substantial care needs increase, so too will the demand for care facilities. In fact, a study published by The Lancet suggests that a further 71,000 care home places will be needed in the UK within the next six years.3 

Recent figures from Alzheimer’s UK showed that about 70 per cent of care home residents have dementia or severe memory problems.2As the population ages, it is inevitable that this figure will continue to grow. Therefore, care establishments need to ensure that they are moving away from traditional clinical design and are instead adapting their interior environments to be dementia inclusive.