" Designing to help people live with dementia better and independently "
WHY IS LIVING WELL WITH DEMENTIA IMPORTANT ?
WANDERING IN DEMENTIA
PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT
Living well with dementia is really important to have a positive point of view towards life when you get diagnosed. Even if when people have problems with memory and brain functioning they don't lose themselves and their identity. Every individual has their own experience with dementia and different ways of dealing with it. In order to have a positive mindset and live well with dementia, one must concentrate on the things that they can still do and not stress or be anxious about the things they can’t do.
Alzheimer’s disease causes people to lose their ability to recognise familiar places and faces. It is very common for people suffering from dementia to wander or get lost or confused about their whereabouts. 6 in 10 people living with dementia wander at least once and many do it repeatedly. people with dementia are often seen having difficulties
locating familiar places at home such as bathroom, bedroom or dining room. As the disease progresses the risk of
wandering also increases. Preventing wandering is a careful balance of maintaining the individual’s liberty, dignity
and independence and keeping the individual safe.
The early and mid-stages of dementia i.e. stages 4 & 5 are the two stages in which the person goes through the most drastic changes of symptoms that can be seen. Realisation of these drastic changes can cause agitated and restless behaviours in the patients. In These stages, one of the main concerns of the caretakers is also to plan strategies to maximize the patient’s independence. when the patients enter the early and early-mid stages, loved ones around them start indulging and getting involved in their life and decision-making. the constant and sudden involvement of loved ones or caretakers leads to frustration, restlessness, agitation, and irritation for the patient. Many people who get diagnosed with dementia are not able to accept it and don’t cope with it very well. Through this project, I want to help people suffering from dementia live and deal with the condition independently as much as possible.
The device can be attached near any door/entrance. The patient will be wearing a bracelet/
watch with an app which guides them where to go and how to get there. The bracelet/ watch will have
options such as bedroom, bathroom, kitchen etc which the patient can click after which the particular
device will start glowing which help guide them
