IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 32

A new library at McDowell
Village in Scottsdale, Arizona,
USA was designed by 55+ TLC
Interior Design with seniorfriendly features that make
it easier for residents to
use and maneuver.

perspective

iida.org/perspective

Josh Freitas,
author, The
Demential
Concept

After the age of 65, our
brains all start to shrink as
a part of normal aging."

Such design elements take on even more meaning in
memory care facilities. For residents who tend to selfisolate, painting the interior of their bedroom door red
can pique their interest and get them to open the door and
enter the social spaces. In contrast, long hallways can often
be confusing. And while most residential projects focus on
keeping intruders out, memory care facilities must focus
on preventing residents with dementia from wandering.
Some interior designers disguise doors behind very shallow
bookshelves, some block windows to make the outdoor
scenery less enticing, and others use shadow as a deterrent.
"Black below the mid-thigh can be very scary, because they
sense it as a possible hole," says Freitas. By casting the
right color over a door, designers can help keep vulnerable
residents safe.
Here, too, the numbers can't be ignored. Dementia
currently affects 47 million people worldwide, and this
number will nearly triple by 2050, according to a 2015 report
by Alzheimer's Disease International.
The design industry is taking note. University of Nevada,
Las Vegas recently unveiled a master's degree program in
healthcare interior design aimed at creating comfortable
spaces tailored to the lifestyle needs of residents, including
those with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's
and Parkinson's. A collaboration between the university and
the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health,
the two-year program combines design traditions with the
research and experience of neuroscience experts.

Photo by: Bonnie J. Lewis, Assoc. IIDA, Allied ASID, CAPS, 55+ TLC Interior Design, LLC

make it easier for residents to move through the community.
And in individual rooms, "an accent wall can help
immensely," he says. "That registers in the brain that there
are four walls, while an all-white room can seem circular."
Same in the bathroom, where a contrasting seat makes it
easier for aging eyes to correctly gauge the toilet.
Incorporating biophilic design elements can also have
a profound benefit on seniors' health, including regulating
circadian rhythms, which are often disrupted by aging.
"If someone doesn't have enough natural daylight,
it's harder for them to sleep," says Freitas. "Even with
atriums, sunlight might flow over the community but not
enter into it."
Automated technology can help. "Lighting programs
that behave like the sun would ... encourage seniors'
circadian rhythms to be normal and natural," says Powell
Sheppard. "Technology is key for making that more
fluid, though. You wouldn't want to rely on someone
remembering to turn the lights down 25 percent at 6 p.m. It
would feel too jarring for residents."

http://www.iida.org/perspective

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016