Dementia-Friendly Homes Design Guide

This design guide by the Dementia Housing Working Group (DHWG) was developed in response to Recommendation 34 of the All-Party Parliamentary Group report 'Housing for people with dementia - are we ready?'

It advises:

“...that providers of housing for older people, in the private and social sectors, should consider the design and adaptability of their homes to meet the needs of those living with dementia. This should cover both ‘hard design’ - wider doorways, accessible kitchens and bathrooms that enable independence - and ‘soft design’ - covering the auditory impact of surfaces, the use of tactile and visual cues as reminders, signposting, labelling.”

This guide is aimed at anyone involved in dementia-friendly housing, including people living with dementia and their family and friends, but in particular, housing providers, architects, designers, builders, commissioning organisations and regulators.

It gives a high-level perspective of the dementia-friendly design issues that need to be addressed, including practical suggestions for adaptations that can be made in the home to improve the quality of life of those with dementia.

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The DHWG, originally set up by the National Housing Federation in 2008, aims to promote the contribution of the housing sector to improving the health and wellbeing and quality of life for people living with dementia.

For more information, visit: https://www.housinglin.org.uk/housing-networks/dementia-and-housing-working-group/