Reciprocal design: inclusive design approaches for people with late stage dementia

Abstract

ABSTRACTMore people, than ever before, are living into advanced old age. As a result, incidences of age-related, non-communicable disease such as dementia will increase. Dementia is an umbrella term for a range of conditions that impact cognitive and physical functioning. It is terminal. Scientific communities continue to search for a cure. Meanwhile, attention is increasingly being refocused, exploring what it means to have a good quality of life and how to live well with dementia, regardless of the stage of the disease. Design has an important role to play in supporting quality of life of people living with dementia. However, designers need to take into account the many varied contexts in which people live, the different manifestations of the disease, and individual wants, needs and preferences. Co-creative approaches can enable people living with dementia and stakeholders in their care, to engage in the design process and impact products and services made for them, provide opportunities for social engagement, interaction and pleasure, and give designers insights into the embodied experience of living with dementia and the social and cultural impact. This paper discusses a participatory design research project with people living with advanced dementia in residential care facilities in Australia.