Physical, social and personal aspects of our lives are affected by the environments in which we live. There is much we can do to create dementia friendly environments, in physical design of spaces, and in how people live each day. Some things we can do may cost very little or nothing at all, such as finding out a person’s life story, and using their life story to make their daily life meaningful. Some things may cost a bit more, like creating a garden with a path, different types of plants, and a waist high garden patch that people can use. Other things we can do may be at the design stages of a facility, for example design so that toilets and ensuites can be seen from a person’s bed. You will find here changes you can make at low, moderate or high cost:

• Assistive technology
• Bathrooms and bathing
• Bedrooms: privacy and personalisation
• Eating, dining areas and kitchens
• Family and community
• Gardens and outdoor spaces
• Interior design
• Maintaining personal identity: respect and dignity
• Personal enjoyment: participation and engagement and
• Staff: culture change, education and support