Sensory enrichment through textiles for people living with dementia

Abstract

The paper discusses the role of textiles in facilitating sensory enriched environments and meaningful activities for people living with dementia. It is based on recent interdisciplinary research, a collaboration between design and healthcare, investigating the provision of multi-sensory experience for people with dementia living in care-homes, particularly the quality and design of Multi-Sensory Environments (MSEs). Results from an ethnographic study conducted in 16 UK care-homes revealed that set-up and design of existing MSEs were often not appropriate and suitable for older people, and facilitation of multi-sensory activities by staff was poor. The absence of textiles and its appropriate use was noticeable, although the multi-sensory qualities intrinsic to textiles offer many benefits. Based on these findings, design criteria improving usability and accessibility for older people with dementia were established and user-centred design recommendations developed, including the use of textiles as an essential aspect