This event has already occurred. Logged-in members can view the recording below.
Designing Dementia Capable Environments: Marrying Health, Safety and Wellness offers a high-level look at memory care design. The course will provide an introduction to how different types of dementia impact a person’s ability to function within their environment, give insight into how people function at each stage of dementia and conclude with design strategies to maximize function, safety and wellness of persons with dementia as they progress through the stages. This will enable you to make informed design decisions when helping owners, operators and developers create environmental supports that will best serve the person with dementia and those who care for them.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the effects of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias on function.
- Identify key remaining abilities at each dementia stage, as defined by Allen Cognitive Levels
- Learn how functional cognition is impacted by design.
- Identify important design elements that support the health, safety, well-being, and remaining abilities of persons in all stages of dementia.
Presented by:
Senior Consultant and Implementation Specialist
Sharon R. Host, OTR/L, received a B.S. degree, in Occupational Therapy from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her specialization is geriatrics and she has many years of experience working as a clinician in the long term care and home health settings. Sharon began her journey using the Allen Cognitive Disabilities Model in 1999 and completed the Dementia Therapy Master Clinician Program in 2009. She has presented at AOTA on Pain Management in the Aging Population and at the Alabama Occupational Therapy Association (ALOTA) conferences on positioning and documentation issues in the geriatric population. She worked for a rehabilitation company for several years where she served as the clinical consultant for the occupational therapy team. Sharon Host’s years of experience combined with specialized training and her passion for environmental design has allowed her to assist many clients with meeting their design goals. For 5 years, she has presented an 8-hour course on design principles for persons with dementia at the Environments for Aging Conference. Sharon is a Certified Eden Associate and a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS). She currently works as a senior consultant and global professional instructor for Crisis Prevention Institute/Dementia Care Specialists providing services to assist persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias to thrive.
