Memory Corner Catalogue 2020 - Flipbook - Page 7
LowCall: 1890 290 390
Retail Stores Nationwide
SECTION 2 RESOURCES
4
REDUCE UNHELPFUL STIMULATION
Because dementia reduces the ability to
stimulation and attend to only those things
that are important, a person with dementia becomes stressed by prolonged exposure
to large amounts of stimulation. The environment should be designed to minimise
exposure to stimuli that are not helpful. The full range of senses must be considered.
Too much visual stimulation is as stressful as too much auditory stimulation.
5
OPTIMISE HELPFUL STIMULATION
Enabling the person with dementia to see, hear and smell things that give them cues
about where they are and what they can do, can help to minimise their confusion and
uncertainty. Consideration needs to be given to providing redundant cueing i.e. providing
a number of cues to the same thing, recognizing that what is meaningful to one person
will not necessarily be meaningful to another. A person may recognize their bedroom, for
example, because of a view, the presence of furniture, the colour of the walls, the light
and/or the bedspread. Cues need to be carefully designed so that they do not
add to unhelpful stimulation.
6
SUPPORT MOVEMENT AND ENGAGEMENT
obstacles and complex decision points, that guides people past points of interest
and opportunities to engage in activities or social interaction. The pathway should
be both internal and external, providing an opportunity and reason to go outside when the
weather permits.
7
CREATE A FAMILIAR SPACE
The person with dementia is more able to use and enjoy spaces and objects that were
familiar to them in their early life. The environment should afford them the opportunity
to maintain their competence through the use of familiar building design (internal and
This will involve an understanding of the personal
background of the people living in the environment. The involvement of the person with
dementia in personalising the environment with their familiar objects should be encouraged.
Helping you care
5