Dementia Enabling Environment Project

Developing an enabling environment for a person living with dementia can make a significant difference to independence, quality of life and wellbeing.

A well designed garden, or an interior planned with cognitive impairment in mind can provide essential prompts, accessibility and reduce risks to support a person with dementia to maintain abilities and take part in meaningful engagement. A poorly designed environment can be at best confusing and disorienting, and at worst disabling and even dangerous for those with dementia.

This Virtual Information Centre provides practical tips, guides and resources to help make the places in which we live more dementia enabling: from simple modifications that anybody can make to their home, to landscaping suggestions and architectural design for dementia care environments.

Use this site to:

• Explore different settings: homes, care environments and gardens to find out how to apply key principles for dementia enabling environments.
• Visit the discussion group to ask questions and share your ideas
• Check the resources page to learn about workshops and seminars near you, download useful information and access a range of resources
• Learn the 10 key design principles for quality dementia design