Home environment and dementia

Older people need about twice as much light as younger people to accomplish everyday tasks comfortably and the need is even greater for people with dementia. Light and lighting that promotes health and independence doesn’t just happen. It needs to be designed, with awareness of the specific needs of older people and people with dementia.

This guide provides practical advice on how to make sure your home is warm and well lit.
It covers; getting help from your energy supplier, understanding the challenges people with dementia face, making small changes that will keep your bills down, ways of making sure people with dementia have enough light to be safe and comfortable, things you can do to help the person stay comfortable, without being too hot or too cold

The impact of noise on older people and people living with dementia is easily overlooked, but the acoustic environment can profoundly affect our quality of life and wellbeing. Acoustics in Aged Care is a practical guide to sound, noise and hearing that will help the reader understand the problem of acoustic intrusions. Written for anyone planning, designing, building homes or caring for older people, Acoustics in Aged Care is an important resource with practical strategies that can be taken to reduce intrusive noise at home or in the care environment.

The quality of the acoustic environment is a vital component of good dementia-friendly design. People need to be able to hear well in order to make sense of it and in order to function at the highest level possible. It is essential that adaptations which simplify and clarify the acoustic environment, and which reduce discomfort and auditory 'clutter' are put in place.

Air pollution is a global problem that has far-reaching effects for millions of people every year. A Breath of Fresh Air is an important guide to the issue, and the impact of older people and people living with dementia who are more vulnerable to poor air quality.
This book will help building professionals, aged care providers, carers and families understand the issues of indoor and outdoor air pollution, with useful strategies for improving air quality for older people and practical real-world examples.