FEATURED ARTICLE
Age and Dementia Friendly Outdoor Spaces by Ash Osborne Qualified Access Consultant, Affiliate Membership ACAA; Senior Consultant, Environments, Dementia Training Australia
Ash has a nursing background and a range of professional experience in dementia care, project management, research, OSH management and design as well as over 30 years experience in the health and aged care industry. For the past 10 years she has supported a wide range of stakeholders to create dementia and aged friendly environments that meet both the needs of organisations and older people, particularly those living with dementia.
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he benefits of exposure to fresh air, sunshine and the natural environment are well established. Getting outside provides health benefits such as Vitamin D, exercise, sensory stimulation and the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of meaningful activities. Getting outdoors can also give you the opportunity to spend time alone or to socialise. People of all ages benefit from getting outdoors, including older Australians. In 2017, there were 3.8 million Australians aged 65 and over (comprising 15% of the total population)— increasing from 5% in 1927 and 9% in 1977. The number and proportion of older Australians is expected to continue to grow. By 2057, it is projected there will be 8.8 million older people in Australia (22% of the population) aged 65 and over. Nearly 1 in 10 of these older Australians are living with dementia. That is about 459,000 people. Without a major medical breakthrough this figure is projected to increase to 1,076,000 people by 2058. The way we provide health and social support services to these older people has undergone a major shift over the past few decades as most people want to stay independent, remain in their 32
home and connected to family and community for much longer. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of older people do not want to move into residential care. Our aged care system is now much more focussed on helping people to remain living at home. This is no different for people living with dementia with 70% continuing to live in the community. So we have a large (and increasing) population of older people accessing our parks and public spaces, many of whom are also living with dementia as well as the other health, physical and sensory issues that often accompany old age. How can we ensure that the outdoor spaces we design and build can help enable these members of the community to live active, joyful lives and utilise our outdoor spaces? There is a good evidence base around strategies and design considerations that can be adopted to create accessible, enabling and inclusive spaces for our elders. This article will provide a
A FEW FACTS ABOUT DEMENTIA • Dementia is not a normal part of ageing • Dementia is not a disease but a syndrome caused by a range of diseases, with Alzheimer’s Disease accounting for around 70% of dementias in Australia • Nearly 1 in 10 people over the age of 65 and 3 in 10 over 85 in Australia have dementia • Dementia is the second leading cause of death in Australia and the single greatest cause of disability in Australians over 65 years
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