Design for Health, Wellbeing, and Happiness
In the moment: designing for late stage dementia
Cathy Treadaway, David Prytherch, Gail Kenning, Jac Fennell
Cardiff Metropolitan University, Birmingham City University, University of Technology Sydney, Cardiff Metropolitan University
ctreadaway@cardiffmet.ac.uk
Keywords: inclusive design, dementia, wellbeing
Abstract
This paper presents international multidisciplinary design research to support the wellbeing of people living with dementia. The LAUGH1 project aims to develop playful artefacts that will contribute to non-pharmacological personalised approaches to caring for people living with late stage dementia in residential care. This paper presents the context for this research and explains the initial stages of the work currently in progress. An inclusive participatory methodology is described in which key experts including: health professionals, technologists, materials scientists and carers of people living with dementia are informing the development of design concepts. A positive design approach in which designing for pleasure, personal significance and virtue underpin the work. The initial stages of the research have identified the significance of: playfulness, sensory stimulation, hand use and emotional memory. This paper contends that designs should aim to promote ‘in the moment’ living in order to support subjective wellbeing of people living with late stage dementia.
This paper is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence.
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Cite this paper: Treadaway, C., Prytherch, D., Kenning, G., Fennell, J. (2016). In the moment: designing for late stage dementia. Proceedings of DRS 2016, Design Research Society 50th Anniversary Conference. Brighton, UK, 27–30 June 2016.
This paper will be presented at DRS2016, find it in the conference programme