The Design Council work is part of our wider drive to make our country dementia friendly … [challenging] cities, towns and villages up and down the land to lead a revolution in how people think about dementia.”
The Design Council have launched five design concepts to help people with dementia and their carers live better.
The five ground-breaking designs include:
- buddiband – a discrete wristband which uses cutting edge technology to keep carers informed of the welfare of the wearer, and respond if needed
- ode – a fragrance-release system designed to stimulate appetite among people with dementia
- Dementia Dog – a new approach that trains specially-selected assistance dogs to help and protect the wellbeing of people with dementia
- Grouple – an online network which helps families plan and share care, engaging a wider support circle.
- Trading Times – a website to help carers find flexible employment
Find out more about the designs at www.livingwellwithdementia.com
The Design Council, in partnership with the Department of Health, ran a national competition to find teams of designers and experts who could develop new ideas to help improve the lives of those affected by dementia.
Guided by in-depth research and working with those affected by dementia, the five teams developed the innovative concepts for products and services. The resulting prototypes will be further tested and developed with commercial partners with the aim of making some or all of them available on a large scale as soon as possible.
Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said:
“Fear of dementia can leave people feeling powerless and trapped, leaving them isolated and unsupported. That is why we have worked with the Design Council to drive innovation in dementia care. The five winning ideas have the potential to make a big difference for people with dementia and their families.
The Design Council work is part of our wider drive to make our country dementia friendly. Today we go further with our partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society to challenge cities, towns and villages up and down the land to lead a revolution in how people think about dementia.
Working with businesses, Councils, the local NHS and community groups our immediate goal is a network of 20 dementia friendly cities, towns and villages to lead the way.”