The design of technology and environments to support enjoyable activity for people with dementia

AbstractThe INDEPENDENT project (2003–2006) developed technology to help people with dementia participate in enjoyable activity. People with dementia and their supporters helped to identify a “wish list” of technologies that could be developed to support activities they enjoyed. Four of these were taken forward in an iterative design process involving people living in a range of settings; their own homes, sheltered housing and communal residential buildings. The study included an evaluation of how well the architecture of the different home environments supported people taking part in activity they enjoyed. Private homes were found to afford significantly more opportunities for enjoyment than purpose-built settings though people living in private houses were more socially isolated. This paper discusses the ways in which the physical environment impacts on activity, and sets out recommendations for design to promote well-being