Steve received a younger onset dementia diagnosis, which led to him having to be cared for in a dementia secure wing for many months, described by his wife Angie as a ‘horrible experience’.
That was, until he moved to the MICROTOWN at NewDirection Care at Bellmere, near Caboolture in Queensland, where residents are supported to live life just as they would at home.
The spaces at Bellmere are designed to enable more autonomy and accessibility for people living with dementia, and foster a sense of normalcy by allowing residents to maintain routines and connections.
Families report that the NewDirection Care difference being that it is a provider that ‘feels like moving their loved one home and back to the real world again’.
Angie said that the improvement in Steve’s quality of life once he moved to NewDirection Care was amazing.
“There is no amount of words that could describe the difference. Steve has dignity again, he has got independence, and they cater to his needs rather than him having to slot into a system. I know he’s happy and safe.”
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Dementia-enabling design is slowly transforming residential aged care, foregrounded last July by the release of the National Aged Care Design Principles and Guidelines, which build on the approach HammondCare’s Dementia Centre has been researching and promoting for 30 years.
So that more people like Steve can experience a better quality of life, The Dementia Centre is bringing their Dementia Design School to Queensland for the first time in October.
This represents the first Dementia Design School collaboration with a provider outside of HammondCare. Held on October 9 and 10, it will include a tour of a local innovative aged care provider, NewDirection Care.
As well as gaining practical knowledge to help assess and improve existing or new environments, participants will see many of the Government’s guidelines in action, such as houses that are home-like and domestic in scale, easy access to expansive outdoor green spaces and gardens and community spaces that encourage connection.
NewDirection Care’s site provides a glimpse into dementia-friendly design beyond traditional residential aged care, which is community-led and inclusive of residents regardless of their diagnosis.
“We’re united in the same goals, so it’s fantastic to be able to work together with NewDirection Care,” said Angela Raguz, General Manager of both The Dementia Centre and Residential Care at HammondCare, an aged care organisation with facilities in NSW and Victoria.
“This approach is spreading, and we hope to assist other aged care providers to improve the physical environments of people in their care. The result will be better lives – that’s really what we all want to see.”
She explained that even small changes to the environment can make a big difference for people living with dementia.
“The cognitive and sensory impairments people living with dementia may encounter can impact their experience of the world,” said Ms Raguz.
“Good design principles and techniques can enable them to more easily navigate their spaces, meaning they can maintain quality of life and independence for longer.”
NewDirection Care CEO Natasha Chadwick added that she is excited to open NewDirection Care’s doors to the Dementia Design School, to highlight the different approaches to providing quality care for Australians as they age.
“We are grateful to HammondCare for recognising that a small family-owned provider like NewDirection Care can drive transformational change in the sector,” Ms Chadwick said.
“Our MICRO TOWN® model represents a bold rethinking of aged care, offering an alternative to traditional institutional environments.
“Dementia-enabling design is about more than just those living with dementia. It’s about creating environments that support a wide range of needs and this collaboration is allowing us to showcase how NDC has used innovation in design to enhance lives.
“We are pleased to be able to have a significant group of forward-thinking leaders visit our site, as we see our different approach as being valuable to informing design across a range of industries, not only residential aged care.
“We hope the workshop will inspire the broader industry to embrace innovative solutions that better meet the needs of all older Australians. We are excited about the opportunity to show how the NewDirection Care approach can drive meaningful change.”
The Dementia Design School will be held at Caboolture Hub on Wednesday and Thursday, October 9-10.
To find out more, go to www.dementiacentre.com/design/dementia-design-school
