Knowledge and tools essential to create aged care environments that improve the lives of people living with dementia, as outlined in the new National Aged Care Design Principles and Guidelines, will be covered by a two-day Dementia Design School in Queensland next week.

HammondCare’s Dementia Centre, which has experience of more than 30 years of research and experience with dementia-enabling design, will hold the Dementia Design School for the first time in the Sunshine State at Caboolture on Wednesday and Thursday, October 9 and 10.

As well as gaining practical knowledge to help assess and improve existing or new environments, participants will see many of the Government’s guidelines in action, such as houses that are home-like and domestic in scale, easy access to expansive outdoor green spaces and gardens and community spaces that encourage connection.

A feature of the event will be a guided tour of NewDirection Care Bellmere to see first-hand design principles and features in its MICRO TOWN® aged care model, an inclusive dementia-friendly community.

Angela Raguz, General Manager of The Dementia Centre and HammondCare Residential Care, said dementia impacts a person’s ability to make sense of the world around them and good design can help address this.

She said even small changes to the environment can make a big difference.

“The cognitive and sensory impairments people living with dementia may encounter can impact their experience of the world,” Ms Raguz said.

“Good design principles and techniques can enable them to more easily navigate their spaces, meaning they can maintain quality of life and independence for longer.”

Ms Raguz said NewDirection Care’s great enabling design model means the Design School can be held in Queensland for the first time. It’s also the Dementia Centre’s first collaboration with a provider other than HammondCare.

NewDirection Care Bellmere, opened in 2017, resembles a typical Australian suburban community with 17 residential houses located on six streets across two hectares. The town, like any community, has its own town centre with a cinema, corner store, café and hair and beauty salon.

NewDirection Care Managing Director Natasha Chadwick said she was pleased to see this family-owned organisation drive transformational change with a new design model that is an alternative to traditional institutional environments.

“Dementia-enabling design is about more than those living with dementia. It’s about creating environments that support a wide range of needs,” she said.

“Our collaboration with The Dementia Centre will showcase how we have used innovation in design to enhance all lives, helping to redefine what aged care can be.”

Dementia-enabling design is slowly transforming residential aged care with the release of the National Aged Care Design Principles and Guidelines in July. This guide for the aged care sector supports the delivery of high quality, safe, respectful and dignified care for older people living in residential care accommodation.

The Dementia Design School will be held at Caboolture Hub on Wednesday and Thursday, October 9-10.