Dementia Care

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30 Australian Journal of Dementia Care June/July 2016 Vol 5 No 3
associated with particular signs (for
instance, the green figure at road
crossings) are maintained to avoid
confusion; here, enhanced or exaggerated
contrast and geometry are used to
convey meaning.
Part generic and part personalised, this
system of graphic elements enhances
information already present in the
environment that Gladys may not have
been able to detect or interpret without
assistance.
Device settings may be adjusted in
consultation with a person’s care
network to suit an individual user’s
needs and preferences. For instance,
triggers for navigational prompts may be
adjusted; customising how far from a
routine course a user may travel before
assistance is offered.
Voice commands may be customised
within a predetermined range of natural
language combinations. Problematic
areas of vision may also be avoided; for
example, the centre of vision (if the user
has macular degeneration) or at the
periphery. Textual prompts are generally
avoided to minimise any interruption of
the user experience but, if necessary, are
placed in a comfortably accessible zone
(with images appearing at or just below
the user’s eye level).
By recording Gladys’ personal metrics
(including movement patterns, reaction
time and heart rate – similar to data
recorded by a Fitbit or other activity
tracker), the PRO-d provides Gladys’
doctor with vital information regarding
her physical and cognitive performance.
The device is intended to complement
existing care networks. Established
under the guidance of her GP, Gladys’
care network includes family and care
professionals (her daughter, her
granddaughter, her doctor, her
optometrist, her community care nurse),
as well as community members with
whom she has regular contact (her
neighbour, her local baker). The PRO-d
enables Gladys to more actively maintain
links to this care network via increased
time spent in the public realm.
Conclusion
The hypothetical PRO-d is envisaged as a
way to provide people experiencing
cognitive difficulty with an unobtrusive,
entry-level option, similar to a walking
frame or hearing aid. The PRO-d is
perhaps likely to resemble similar
wearable computing devices worn by
people without dementia.
While principally an exercise in
speculative design, my project aims to
extend the current thinking on the
intersection of technology, medicine,
architecture and urban design, with
particular regard to dementia care. A
‘wearable’ for people with dementia is
now years, not decades, from market,
and it is my hope that my proposal will
be a catalyst for the development of a real
PRO-d-like device.
Overcoming barriers to engagement
with community and nature is critical to
enabling and maintaining the well-being
of people with dementia. As the
ubiquitous computing revolution gathers
momentum, I believe wearable ‘smart’
devices and augmented reality hold the
key to such empowerment.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my studio leader, Brian Kidd. This
project has been greatly enriched by your
wisdom. Thank you also to Kirsty Bennett,
Alison Withers, Alan Kong, Terri Preece, Jenny
Donovan, Liz Rand, Freda Erlich, Alex Holland
and Courtney Foote for your expert
contributions, and to Sharon Raleigh and Aidan
McDonald for your support.
Listen to Jil Raleigh’s webinar presentation,
Falling down the rabbit hole: the future of
designing for dementia , on the Dementia
Training Study Centres’ website at
(go to the eLearning
page). Also featured is a presentation by
Colin McDonnell, Dementia Excellence
Practice Leader at Scalabrini Village, on
Designing for CALD living with dementia .
See the article on p24 for Brian Kidd’s
report on other innovative dementia design
solutions.
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Jil Raleigh is an
engineering and
architecture
graduate at
BKK Architects
with a keen
interest in
inclusive and
sustainable
design. She is also the co-editor of the
Melbourne School of Design student
journal, Inflection. Contact her at: