Design expertise in practice
A leader in the field of dementia design, The Dementia Centre’s expertise is both evidence-based and proven in practice.
From the design of the revolutionary Meadows aged care home in 1995 to our partnership with supermarket chain Coles in 2021, HammondCare’s Dementia Centre has been putting design theory into practice - demonstrating the wide-reaching benefits of dementia design and delivering quality of life for residents and staff.
We are passionate about supporting organisations and businesses to understand dementia and how a good environment can even ‘reverse the trajectory’ of dementia, as seen in our Sinclair to Southwood study.
The development of the first Specialist Dementia Care Unit at Linden set the benchmark of design for people who have severe behaviour related to their dementia. Essentially an extension of our existing home-like model, this innovative approach allows us to care for residents that other organisations cannot.
HammondCare’s newest building projects are pushing the boundaries of what aged-care looks like, bringing the tried-and-tested cottage model to multi-level and mixed-use developments, bringing in the community and increasing dignity, choice and control for everyone.
Design for Dementia
Design is a powerful tool – and we want to support you to use it to meet and exceed standards, improve efficiencies, innovate, and most importantly, benefit those living with dementia.
Over the last 15 years we have carried out hundreds of design reviews in Australia and internationally - of care homes, hospitals, businesses, and community spaces, identifying strengths and supporting opportunities for improvement.
Dementia Choices
In 2019 we launched Dementia Choices – a product review programme enabling designers and specifiers to make more informed design choices and supporting product designers to develop better products for people living with dementia.
2020 saw the development of the Dementia Choices ‘Care Home Environments’ audit tool – a review system which reinvents and updates HammondCare’s DesignSmart Tool and provides a more efficient and targeted process of review for care homes units.
Dementia Choices Environments Tool for Care Environments.
Coming in 2022, the Dementia Choices App will allow anyone to easily review their care home environment and receive free emailed recommendations. We hope this will broaden the awareness of the importance of a well-designed environment particularly in the aged care setting and encourage improvements.
Find out more about Dementia Choices
Our Team
The diversity of the Dementia Centre’s team of around 200 Dementia Consultants is a key strength.
We have a wide range of skills and experience in the field of dementia with specialists in architecture, interior design, access consultancy, landscape design and horticulture. Many of our consultants have dual specialties in areas like occupational therapy, technology, behaviour management, engagement, physiotherapy, medicine, nursing and social work.
We always work collaboratively so that we draw on the relevant expertise in the team to suit your needs. Our research team is on hand to provide latest evidence to guide our reporting and recommendations.
With consultants based in the UK and all across Australia, we are able to support you in different ways, irrespective of location or time zone, including remote reviews and consultancy via Teams or Zoom, or on the ground as you need.
Consultancy Services
Our consultants apply evidence-based knowledge, objective assessment techniques, and a passion to improve the quality of life of older people and people with dementia.
We use proven-in-practice knowledge, professional expertise and experience for challenging situations, leading clients to new insights and innovative solutions. We operate in a diverse range of contexts including:
- Shops and businesses
- Care home
- Cafes, Restaurants
- Hospitals
- Housing developments
- Prisons
- Transport hubs
- Outside spaces
- Community Gardens
All reviews utilise the Dementia Choices Environments Tool for Care Environments.
Find the right consultancy service for you
Our design teams will review your unbuilt project. This involves:
- Consultation with the design team
- Review of plans and specification documentation at any stage of design to demonstrate alignment with best practice dementia design
We will visit your site and typically produce a 30-page report with bespoke recommendations and a 1-hour follow up Teams meeting.
Less comprehensive than the onsite Essentials Design Review we will typically produce a 20-page report based on photos and floor plans you provide.
In this workshop two consultants will spend 4 to 5 hours on site to present dementia design principles to your teams, following by an optional 1-hour session tailored to your specific needs. We will spend an hour walking around one of your key sites and run a 2-hour workshop to identify priorities.
You can choose from these topics for the optional 1-hour session:
- Design and behaviour
- Wayfinding
- Managing Noise
- Colour and Contrast
- Personalisation and Privacy
We recommend this review 6-9 months after you have had an Essentials Design Review. This involves a 2-hour site visit to review the improvements you have made with a short report and an update of your Essentials score.
This comprehensive review involves site visits to all care homes, with review of each. You will receive a set of 3-page high level reports using the Essentials Audit Tool.
If, after having the Design Essentials Review, your site is in line for a Bronze, Silver or Gold award, you are eligible to apply for full accreditation.
This involves an extra day visit, with two consultants after which you’ll receive an additional report with observations and recommendations. Once certified you can use the Dementia Choices logo and brandmark on your marketing materials.
Design Training
Our experts offer specialised training across a range of
If you are about to embark on a major refurbishment or a new building project, this course will prepare and inspire your stakeholders and design team. It involves an interactive and intensive exploration of dementia, our design principles and features, and how to put them into practice in your context. The course is designed for 8 to 30 participants and can be conducted at the location of your choice.
Expand on what you learned in the Essentials Design School module with an additional day where we will workshop your project(s) together with you.
These sessions are tailored to suit your needs and existing level of knowledge, and are aimed at care and design professionals.
Held on Teams or Zoom, you can choose from:
- Dementia Design Essentials (mandatory first session)
- Design and behaviour
- Wayfinding
- Managing Noise
- Colour and Contrast
- Personalisation and Privacy
- Managing Stimuli
- Improving Access Outdoors
Contact us
For enquiries regarding design or to discuss the possibility of collaborating with the Dementia Centre, please complete the form below.