Caring for memories

Memory care buildings in America have reportedly become more common than ever in the past decade.

The buildings are generally divided into neighbourhoods of 10 to 12 residents – often because small groups are less overwhelming and confronting for those with memory problems – can offer people living with dementia a safe and comforting environment to reside in.

Senior Star at Weber Place in Romeoville, Illinois, features a separate building for those living with dementia and has 77 private suites and is a locked facility, but built in a circle, so when residents wander, they can do so without becoming lost.

According to American researchers, residents can also walk until they find their rooms because they do not have to make any turns. The circular design is also consistent at Senior Star’s outside courtyard.

Often requiring a diagnosis from a physician prior to admission, the staff can also conduct an assessment of the senior to see if she or he is an appropriate candidate for the facility.

Despite these buildings giving residents the opportunity to “wander without frustration”, Dementia Care Australia founder, Jane Verity, tells DPS News the “root cause” of the wandering needs to first be established.

“Often wandering is a way of aleviating boredom as research shows the highest percentage of people wandering do so because they are looking for something meaningful to do,” she says.

“While people can often get frustrated at the end of a corridor when they see a door and they can’t open it, rather than circular designs we need to change the way we provide care and don’t create these bandaid buildings,” she adds.

Do you know of any Australian centres which have adopted the circular design? Share your thoughts by commenting in the box below.