REPORT: ‘DESIGN, DIGNITY, DEMENTIA: DEMENTIA-RELATED DESIGN AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT’ FLEMING, R., ZEISEL, J. & BENNETT, K. 2020. World Alzheimer Report 2020: Design Dignity Dementia: dementia-related design and the built environment Volume 1, London, England: Alzheimer’s Disease International.
Prepared by Ash Osborne DipAppSc; BHSc(Nursing); GradDipHSc(OS&H); qualified Access Consultant; Age Care and Dementia Design Consultant
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n 2020 Alzheimer Disease International (ADI) released a report titled ‘Design, dignity, dementia: Dementia-related design and the built environment’ (https://www.alzint.org/resource/ world-alzheimer-report-2020/) . This report provides a comprehensive and in-depth look at dementia related design and the built environment, and covers design in home/ domestic settings, day and residential aged care, hospitals, and public buildings and spaces. The report was co-authored by Professor Richard Fleming , Kirsty Bennett (Architect) and Dr John Zeisel. Many of you would be familiar with the pioneering work of Richard and Kirsty in Australia. To put this report in context, Alzheimer Disease International (ADI) is an international federation of Alzheimer and dementia associations and they have official relations with the World Health Organisation (WHO). Every year they commission a report on a different topic from highly respected international researchers, universities and authors. That Professor Fleming and Kirsty Bennett were invited to co-author this report (along with US based Dr John Zeisel) is an acknowledgement of Australia being recognised
as a global leader in dementia related design and in leading the way in translating existing research into practice. The report also contains independent contributions from 58 named authors from 17 countries. In further recognition of importance of this report, last month the European Healthcare Design (EHD) Awards presented the authors with the EHD 2021 Award for Outstanding Contribution to Global Knowledge. This report highlights the need for dementia to be recognised as a disability and suggests that dementia enabling design is 30 years behind the progress made in recognising the impact of the built environment on those living with physical disabilities. Co-author of the report, Richard Winter 2021
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