de Fiddes are excited to introduce you to our new blog page! This is a place where we plan to share our thoughts and reviews on design, architecture, products and the latest cutting edge research.
Our team will be posting regularly on de Fiddes projects, review new and exciting innovations, pass on to you the latest education, share and promote notes of inspiration and show you some fabulous photos from our interior fit outs. Keep up to date on latest products in the market, articles of interest and research findings from our Managing Director, Debbie de Fiddes.
Our blog will not only be an example of what keeps the team at de Fiddes committed to being at the forefront of innovation but a fun place to collect and seek ideas, advice for all things design and even just to share whatever is on our minds.
To be the first to receive our latest posts sign up to our newsletter inKIND here.
Enjoy!
Designing to enhance our senses is important when designing for the elderly.
Many people living in aged care, especially secure Memory Support Units, miss the opportunity to explore their senses.
The BBC has a fascinating series called “The Uncommon Senses” by Barry Smith who journeys into the human multi-sensory experience and highlights the importance of our senses and what it means to us as individuals...
Read MoreLast month Debbie featured on the ABC news talking about the importance of technology in aged care highlighting both the virtual reality goggles and the interactive technology.
This area of design is gaining interest worldwide and we were contacted by the BBC to air the story in the UK.
Russell Foster, professor of circadian neuroscience from Oxford University, is a leading researcher in the study of sleep and cycles of the brain. Prof. Foster explains that we need exposure to light between 1000-2000 lux to keep our body clocks ticking over. Prof. Foster says that exposure to light will not only prevent sleep problems, it may also be crucial for keeping our brains in good condition...
Read MoreLast night on ABC News Sunday was our very own CEO, Deb de Fiddes, who says, "Showing the virtual reality goggles to dementia residents at SwanCare Kingia was an amazing experience for the residents, staff and especially for me. It created some great conversations and the expressions on their faces makes what we do all worthwhile".
Read MoreI think we are all familiar with robots and the many articles talking about technology playing a major role in the aged care industry moving forward.
In our last newsletter, we talked about the virtual reality goggles. This week we gave the residents at Swan Care’s dementia area an opportunity to try the Goggles. The reaction from the residents was absolutely incredible. We were filmed by the ABC and it will be viewed on the news Sunday night 7pm if you get a chance to see it.
Read MoreQuite often you will walk into a room and a TV is what you will see and hear first. Samsung have come up with an amazing new UHD TV called ‘The Frame’. The Frame is not only a TV but can double as a picture frame displaying over 100 pieces of art options whenever you’re not using it. The display not only adjusts to your presence but also adjusts to ambient light automatically!
Read MoreIncredibly important!! I recently returned from a speaking engagement at the Environments for Aging Conference in the USA. One of the presentations was by the University of Philadelphia on this particular subject.
What is Biophilia? Bio means life and philia in Greek means fondness ...
We had the great pleasure of being taken to lunch at China Tang, Harbour City in Kowloon on our recent trip to Honk Kong, thanks to our wonderful client and LWK Interiors. Not only was the food amazing but the interiors were completely delightful. Elegant luxury and an inspiring mix of Chinese and European design.
Read MoreThis coming month is a very busy month at de Fiddes Design with finishing a number of exciting projects and travelling overseas to conferences and meetings. Debbie is off to Las Vegas this week to speak at the Environments for Aging Conference and mid-March, Debbie and Erin are travelling to China with our Hong Kong client to look at new products. We look forward to hearing some interesting stories!
Read MoreFollowing on from last month, we often take simple things for granted, such as knowing our way around our home or understanding where the bathroom is located. Let’s then consider an elderly person with dementia who is living in a new and unfamiliar environment; finding something as simple as a toilet outside their own bedroom can be a real problem.
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We had the pleasure of meeting Marc Pascal, one of the co-founders of BuildVR, who brought along some virtual reality goggles for the team to try. All we can say is that they are amazing!
The goggles transport you into an environment that feels real and are a great deal of fun! Solis have a number of virtual packages available from aquatic, travel, animals, relaxation and adventure.
Read MoreUnder stormy skies this month, the Perth International Arts Festival presented our beautiful city of Perth with 'Boorna Waanginy: The Trees Speak' - a light and sound wonderland that showcased our indigenous Australians sacred connection to the land.
Read MoreDuring Debbie’s trip to Budapest in 2016, she met the founder of ReminiScent, Linda Harman. Linda shared her inspiring story of how their product, Smell & Connect, transpired and is having an enormous impact on those living with dementia.
Read MoreWayfinding – absolutely essential in Residential Aged Care but all too often neglected in Retirement Villages. As the average age of a Retirement Village resident is 78-80, wayfinding is just as important in that environment.
Read MoreThe buzzword is Artificial Intelligence and there is no doubt this will have a big impact on our industry.
Intelligent toilets are just one example. Some of these loos not only wash and dry, but can measure sugar levels in urine, blood pressure, heart rate, body fat and weight and the results can be sent directly to the RN or doctor.
Read MoreDebbie has attended and presented at a number of industry conferences in Australia and internationally, had a study tour through the Netherlands, England and Scotland, had several articles published in journals and magazines, researched and presented to client groups on trends in aged care and retirement and to top off her year Debbie decided to tie the knot and was married in November.
Read MoreWe recently came across a very interesting research paper, which had been presented as a Poster Presentation at the ADI Conference in Budapest. The paper was titled “Living with dementia in a nursing home, as described by persons with dementia”
Read MoreThis state-of-the-art Regis Aged Care Club Services facility in East Malvern with 149 single rooms and apartments occupies a high profile position on a busy street while also being neatly nestled in suburban landscape. Our brief was for a high-end finish befitting this area, a very Malvern feel.
Read MoreI missed an incredible exhibition recently on my trip to Paris. It finished just one week before I arrived much to my disappointment. I believe it is worth talking about. A French photographer Laurent Kronenthal took a series of photos documenting the life of large housing projects in Paris. They were buildings built during a housing crisis between the 1950's and the 1980's and are now decaying buildings located in the city's suburban areas. In a statement about the project Kronenthal said "Marked by the passing of time, these massive, grey buildings, like their elder residents, bear the signs of long lives and yet, in these wrinkled faces and cracked walls, in the energy of the bodies and of the facades, emerges the pride and pulse that we thought had disappeared".
Read MoreMusic makes me want to get up and dance!! When I listen to music that I love it makes me feel good but of course music can also evoke a memory that makes you feel sad. I was listening to something recently on the ABC that said dancing improves your health in many ways.
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