New App available

People have been asking us for ages if our highly popular suite of environmental assessment tools could be made available in an online rather than paper-based version, and we’re really excited to announce that an App is now available!

Originally developed as part of The King’s Fund’s Enhancing the Healing Environment programme, the suite of tools was reviewed and refreshed by the Association for Dementia Studies (ADS) in 2020 and expanded to include a tool for gardens and outdoor spaces in 2021. We’re pleased to say that an article we wrote about the review/refresh process has recently won an ‘Outstanding Paper’ award in the 2023 Emerald Literati Awards!!

Dementia Information Hub

This week we have a blog from the Housing and Dementia Research Consortium which is written by Yasmeen Hussein, Policy Executive at Foundations and member of the Dementia and Housing Working Group (D&HWG). They are looking at the Dementia Information Hub – your go-to place for dementia friendly guidance. Over to Yasmeen:

Produced by the D&HWG, the Dementia Information Hub padlet is an exciting new resource which acts as a noticeboard for all things dementia related. The padlet shares information for policy makers, research professionals, housing developers, health and care professionals, those living with dementia and their carers, the home improvement sector, and building environment supply chains.

3 Nations Dementia Working Group Webinar

This week’s blog is written by Faith Frost, reflecting on her experience of attending a recent webinar hosted by 3 Nations Dementia Working Group (3NDWG). Over to Faith:

I was pleased to be able to attend the webinar hosted by the 3NDWG on 29^th June. The focus of this one was ‘Technology and Tips for People with Dementia’. You can find a recording of the webinar on their website.

The 3 Nations Dementia Working Group is a group of people diagnosed with dementia living across England, Northern Ireland and Wales, who work unitedly to make a difference for other people living with dementia.

The webinar kicked off with a fabulous talk by Pete Middleton, who was incredibly witty and engaging. Pete talked about his experience working as a senior IT consultant and his diagnosis of young onset dementia. He provided us with his top tips and hints for preparing for Zoom calls:

1. Always plan (prior preparation prevents poor performance!)
2. Choose a quiet and well-lit place to have your Zoom call in
3. Make sure you have a good internet connection
4. Pets are OK but some people may find it hard to concentrate when there is a lot of moving image on the screen
5. Sit at a table! You can then have a notebook and pen handy for when you want to make notes
6. Keep a drink handy – this can help to wet your whistle and give you an opportunity to breathe if you lose your train of thought
7. Equip yourself with a good stand, a camera and a microphone for an optimum Zoom experience
8. Make sure you don’t have any personal information in sight or things you may want to keep private
9. Keep any props handy, for example an “I want to speak” card
10. Stick a poster on your front door for the delivery driver instructing to leave your parcel in a safe space or with a neighbour
11. Run through any computer programmes that you are using in advance and test your microphone
12. Oh, and my favourite one… check your beard for any fish bones!

‘It’s nice to see the back of your head’ – the role of online meetings during lockdown

This week’s blog is a bit different to normal, as it’s more a reflection on the role that online meetings have played for the ADS team during lockdown, rather than being about a specific project or event. Apologies if it’s not your thing.

(The following was written by Jennifer Bray to share her own personal thoughts, and is not necessarily representative of the views of ADS as a whole)

A couple of weeks ago a some of the ADS team met up for a socially distanced – yet still social – walk on the Malvern Hills, and it was the first chance most of us had had to see each other in person since early March. At the end of the walk a comment was made that really got me thinking about the impact online meetings have had on us during lockdown, and what we’ve been missing out on: “It’s nice to see the back of your head”

Through the Dementia Lens – a virtual reality experience

Although Marleen’s time with the Association for Dementia Studies is nearly at an end, she’s been sharing her ‘Through the Dementia Lens’ work with us and members of the wider university. We’ve found it a really interesting experience, so thought we’d share it with you in a bit more detail.

What is it?

‘Through the Dementia Lens’ is a project from the Netherlands, with one of the developers being the Trimbos Institute. During the project a Virtual Reality experience and associated e-learning course were developed and evaluated for family carers of people with early stage dementia in order to improve their understanding of dementia and empathy. While watching a 360-degree film, a family carer experiences what it is like to have dementia. Wearing a headset and earphones, you can experience a few everyday situations from the perspective of a person with dementia living in their own home such as putting away shopping, making a cup of coffee and being at your own birthday party. The focus of the film is on social interactions for a person with early stage Alzheimer’s disease.

HDRC knowledge and learning exchange event 2019 – Assistive technology for people living with dementia: the aspirational and the achievable

The annual Housing and Dementia Research Consortium (HDRC) conference took place 23rd May, and the HDRC Coordinator Julie Barrett provides a summary of the event. Over to you Julie:

The theme of this year’s HDRC conference was assistive technology that can support daily living, social participation and leisure for people affected by dementia.

Just over 50 delegates attended and the day went smoothly, thanks to the help of the Association for Dementia Studies team. Delegates were from a mix of professions and organisations including occupational therapists, housing and care providers, adult health and social care services, NHS Trusts, Local Authorities, third sector organisations, academics and architects. The delegates seemed engaged and interested throughout and were willing to express their views and ask questions.

Dementia Dwelling Grants – What are they and do they make a difference?

We’ve recently been involved in evaluating a pilot project which provided small aids and adaptations to people with dementia living in their own homes in Worcestershire, and thought we’d tell you a bit more about it.

What is a Dementia Dwelling Grant?

The Dementia Dwelling Grant (DDG) is aimed at improving the wellbeing of people with dementia to enable them to remain independent in their own homes. The DDG is not means-tested, but is based on an assessment of a person’s individual needs and the equipment is provided free within a defined allocation. Local Dementia Advisors carry out the assessments and recommend small-scale aids and adaptations that could be useful to people.