Human Rights and Dignity in Design
Human rights and dignity are elements we all hold dear and yet this is often not afforded for people living with dementia. There is many a struggle in fighting injustices whilst promoting competencies.
Several international experts had much to say on this during a webinar at the launch of the Alzheimer World Report 2020 - particularly when it comes to design…. Regarding incorporating concepts such as streets inside care facilities, Kate Swaffer (CEO Dementia Alliance International) commented “It’s like making a fake world for real people. It lacks dignity and respect, from my perspective”.1
Several international experts had much to say on this during a webinar at the launch of the Alzheimer World Report 2020 - particularly when it comes to design…. Regarding incorporating concepts such as streets inside care facilities, Kate Swaffer (CEO Dementia Alliance International) commented “It’s like making a fake world for real people. It lacks dignity and respect, from my perspective”.1
Dr Kevin Charras from Living Lab Vieillissement & Vulnérabilités in France proposed that spaces and settings are cues of social and societal representations and attitudes2. The common belief that people with dementia should be contained in specific environments and continuously under surveillance can lead to stigmatisation, self-depreciation, segregation which in turn can trigger maladapted behavioural responses which then creates self fulfilling prophecies1. There is a lack of dignity accorded to people living with dementia through the use of certain design approaches and Dr Charras’ presentation showed examples of these in his webinar presentation and commented “It’s quite appalling when design relies on stigma and stereotypes of dementia. It turns into furniture that is vintage, colours and contrasts that are exaggerated, signage that is triple in size, and streets inside buildings, which becomes very confusing”1.
One of the seven lamps of architecture proposed by John Ruskin was Truth and this predominantly refers to materiality and honest displays of construction2. Can this be said for our dementia care designs? Dr Diana Anderson says these “…designs raise moral questions about whether deception of patients is ever ethical. The clinically excellent physician tries to avoid deception at all costs”2 Dignified? Deceiving? What are your thoughts?
One of the seven lamps of architecture proposed by John Ruskin was Truth and this predominantly refers to materiality and honest displays of construction2. Can this be said for our dementia care designs? Dr Diana Anderson says these “…designs raise moral questions about whether deception of patients is ever ethical. The clinically excellent physician tries to avoid deception at all costs”2 Dignified? Deceiving? What are your thoughts?
References
1. https://www.alz.co.uk/sites/default/files/pdfs/World-Alzheimer-Report-2020-launch.pdf
2. Charras, K., Eynard, C., & Viatour, G. (2016) Use of space and human rights: Planning dementia friendly settings. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 59:3, 181-204. DOI: 10.1080/01634372.2016.1171268