Dementia Village, A Return to Normalcy
What Is Dementia Village?
Normalizing the divergent between community and society
Dementia Village is a type of nursing home. It is an environment where people who live there receive 24 hours of custodial watch and medical care.
In biomedical terms, dementia is not a disease but a symptom developed by Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, or related brain malfunction. It is a long-term condition. People with dementia might show multiple cognitive deficits, such as loss of memory and loss of ability to identify objects or people. They also have difficulties in communicating, understanding others or experiencing speech impairment.
When dementia symptoms become severe, it inevitably makes patients rely on the long-term caretaker. To make hiring caretakers and receiving constant medical care more economical, people send their beloved ones to the dementia village. Though it functions the same as other healthcare facilities, dementia village does not have the institutional or hospital look or feel.
Normalization — Planning A World Where They Belong
Dementia patients are forgetful and have difficulty communicating, but they still can feel and love. Studies have shown dementia patients’ condition improves when staying in an environment that helps them be independent. One technique to assist them in regaining autonomy is to normalize their behavior. Such as letting them enjoy social engagement in a society with understanding or stay under “supervised” care without feeling controlled.
A setting like Dementia Village, where everything seems normal to the residents and residents’ behaviors also seem normal to everyone else in the village, can make patients gradually improve their cognitive condition and wellbeing.
Building Layout- From Household Model To A Village Society
Since the beginning of human history, human settlement has begun with a cluster of households. Thus, their village was planned to translate this kind of societal scenario into an actual living situation.
It started with aggregating several residents’ bedrooms into a “household” model. Then gather a series of model units to form a common place to become a “village.” That kind of environment conveys a message: that place “belongs to” the residents — for example, a shared courtyard or living space where residents can participate daily.
Image on the left shows that a six-bedrooms-household unit that include a bathroom in each bedroom. This kind of layout also creates more opportunities for residents going small outdoor areas instead of the enclosed courtyard. You can see the detailed household plan in the later paragraph.
Image on the right shows a six-bedrooms-household unit include two shared bathrooms. Because each household is modelized, it is inevitable to “look “ the same by identical geometry. Therefore, placing design features that engage particular activities could help residents orient themselves and find their ways.
Spatial Geometry- From A Personal Space To A Shared Community
Strategically gathering a certain number of bedrooms into a “household” unit is critical. First, often residents’ bedrooms require a given area (approximately 12’-13' by 18’-20'). Second, there is one-third of social norms always being observed. Using this observation within a household size of 12, between 3 to 8 residents will be available to form a critical mass of social interaction.
Understanding these scale qualities is fundamental in the planning phase, so the residents can naturally share a common physical space. If the shared space is too small, they feel overcrowding. On the other hand, if it is too large, it loses a sense of intimacy and comfort within a space. Most importantly, these residents do not know each other before they become one “household.” Making a comfortable scale to meet a suitable amount of social mass would be more likely to form a “household-like” feeling naturally.
When we consider planning their home, developing a spatial hierarchy also increases opportunities for more social engagement. For instance, in a typical double-loaded corridor apartment, the residents are forced to meet and interact within a 5-feet-wide space. Even a casual conversation can only occur in the hallway (outside the resident’s room) or an entire private living area (inside the resident’s room).
As dementia people still have feelings, they are more vulnerable to harsh environments and unexpected stimuli as they age. Making a semi-private space at their door stop and personalizing the front “porch,” the residents are more likely to chat or stop in front of someone’s bedroom.
Image on the left is a six bedrooms bound into a household unit. A few minor details noted here also impact how the overall geometry is organized. Such as, the bathroom door has to open outwards. That makes the bedroom not have a semi-private area before entering. The shared living area also appeared to be larger than the other module. The caretaker can easily watch everyone when staying in the center core. On the other hand, the residents have less privacy or less access to the light inside the shared area.
Image on the right is also one-household unit with six bedrooms. Some minor details also influence this geometry. For instance, without an in-unit bathroom, each bedroom door can be slightly recessed from the corridor, thus creating a semi-private area. Due to no private bathrooms inside residents’ rooms, their shared bathroom is more generous. Each one has a bathing tub, a sink, a shower wand, a toilet, and a window to access natural light.
