The indoor environment in relation to people with dementia

There are currently about 6 million people with dementia in the European Union. With ageing, a number of sensory changes occur. Dementia exacerbates the effects of these sensory changes and alters perception of stimuli. People with dementia have an increased sensitivity for indoor environmental conditions, which can induce problematic behaviour that form a burden for carers day and night. Building technologies can help create supportive and comfortable homes for community-dwelling people with dementia and their carers. This paper, based on literature review, provides an overview of the indoor environment in relation to the ageing senses and dementia syndrome, the responses by people with dementia and the impact on carers. Glare and excess noise may induce troublesome problem behaviours. The range of tolerance or preference of the indoor climate may be narrow or very broad compared to non-demented counterparts. Also, the paper states how to create an optimal indoor environment for people with dementia and their carers by active and passive means, as people with dementia have difficulty controlling equipment, and require higher levels of indoor light.