People living with dementia can experience changes in the way they interpret the world around them, becoming more sensitive to their environment and often experiencing difficulty navigating their way through it.
People living with dementia can experience changes in the way they interpret the world around them, becoming more sensitive to their environment and often experiencing difficulty navigating their way through it.
With over 40 years' experience designing enabling environments for people living with dementia, architects Annie and Richard Pollock have each launched new books addressing two elements of the physical environment that can have a profound effect on the lives of older people and those living with dementia.
Annie Pollock's new book, A Breath of Fresh Air, investigates the role of air quality in maintaining good health and wellbeing as we age. Annie highlights the relationship between pollution and health, outlining the dangers of poor air quality as a pressing global issue and the consequences of inaction, particularly for older people and those with dementia who are acutely sensitive to their environment.
“With age we become far less able combat the impact of pollution due to reduced lung capacity and altered sense of smell,” explains Annie. “Putting out the message that fresh air is vital is incredibly important. Having doors and windows that are easy to open and ensuring the mechanism to open them is easy to identify and use are critical.”
In the book, Annie presents learnings from case studies derived from day-to-day experiences in the community and aged care which can be readily applied by the readers to enhance air quality, and ultimately improve safety, comfort and wellbeing for all.
Purchase your hardcopy on the HammondCare eShop or download a free digital copy.
Download A Breath of Fresh Air
Acoustics, or noise, is another element that can profoundly impact our quality of life as we age. Acoustics in Aged Care by Richard Pollock, investigates the science behind the effect of noise on our health, while offering practical solutions to reduce noise intrusions in aged care and the lives of people living with dementia. In the book, Richard describes how by simply prioritising acoustic comfort by design, we can improve health and wellbeing.
“Hearing and vision are the most important of our senses and are the way we communicate with our environment, with people, and be part of our social circle,” explains Richard. “Noise in the care environment is a constant problem that people with dementia can often do nothing about. It needs to be managed well, so people with dementia don't become socially isolated.”
Acoustics in Aged Care will help readers understand basic acoustics and provides guidelines on using acoustics design to modify and influence the built environment.
Purchase a hard copy of Acoustics in Aged Care on the HammondCare eShop or download a free digital copy.
Download Acoustics in Aged Care
Listen to Associate Professor Colm Cunningham speak with Annie and Richard Pollock at their home in Scotland in The Dementia Podcast episode Talking Design: Air Quality, Acoustics & Dementia, and hear what inspired them to write these latest publications.