Designing for Aging Individuals

A team from the University of Stirling has developed a tool that can be used to create environments that support aging individuals and those with dementia; it is available at a weblink in the press release noted below.  That press release reports that: “The Environments for Ageing and Dementia Design Assessment Tool (EADDAT) combines the latest research on designing for cognitive change with the expertise of leading architects based at the University’s Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC). It replaces DSDC’s Dementia Design Audit Tool which was first developed in 2008 and has influenced the design of care buildings worldwide. Following successful trials by Transport for London and Kirklees Council, EADDAT is now available to those seeking to make homes, restaurants, cafes and public buildings more accessible. . . . People living with dementia perceive things differently. For example, a black mat placed in the doorway of a shop may be perceived as a hole in the ground. . . . EADDAT provides practical solutions and guidance on how the design, layout and furnishing of buildings and environments can make it easier for older people and people living with dementia to use places and spaces.”

“Environments for Ageing and Dementia Design Assessment Tool (EADDAT) Launches.”  2022.  Press release, Dementia Services Development Centre, https://www.dementia.stir.ac.uk/newsblog/tax-8y9m9-4pdt5-xfdmp-2ze6s