ANALYSIS
constructionmanagermagazine.com
Analysis “There could be a kitemark certification scheme, like BREEAM, so that people buying a home know it has been adapted or futureproofed for dementia sufferers” David Kelly, BRE
BUILDING AWARENESS OF DEMENTIA THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT SECTOR HAS AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY IN TACKLING DEMENTIA’S GROWING IMPACT ON SOCIETY. WILL MANN EXPLAINS There are forecast to be more than one million people in the UK living with dementia by next year. As the country’s demographic gets older, the condition is becoming an increasing strain on society, with care costs around £40,000 a year per person. Dementia is particularly relevant to the built environment, for two reasons. Firstly, the buildings the industry
designs and constructs are rarely suited to dementia sufferers – 93% of homes lack basic accessibility features. Secondly, with an ageing workforce, many in construction may be affected by dementia before they retire. The Alzheimer’s Society is one of the leading dementia charities – an estimated 60%-80% of dementia cases are caused by Alzheimer’s – and will
be raising awareness of the condition on 21 September, World Alzheimer’s Day. It is also involved with several built environment initiatives. The CIOB recently became one of the society’s ‘Dementia Friends’ and is working with the organisation to help the construction sector become more dementia-friendly. Meanwhile, dementia design principles are being developed by the BRE, through demonstration houses, and by Skanska and Ikea in Sweden. “We want to see an increased number of people with dementia able to live longer in their own homes,” says Alice Billin, partnerships officer at the Alzheimer’s Society. “This can only be achieved by improving the homes people live in and the public buildings they visit. Across the built environment sector, organisations can make a valuable contribution to support people with dementia facing these challenges. “Dementia causes memory loss which leads to issues navigating around the community and the home. People can have difficulty recognising familiar places or objects. Dementia can also cause issues with vision and perception. For example, a welcome mat by a front door can look like a black hole, meaning people with dementia may feel unable to go in and out of their own home.” Two years ago, the BRE Innovation Park near Watford opened its dementia demonstration home. This involved refurbishing an existing Victorian terraced house with accessibility features for dementia sufferers.
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