YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids Aims to Make the Mary Free Bed YMCA the First Building in the World to have Universal Design Certification
“Our community is embarking on the remarkable mission of building the first health and wellness facility in the world specifically designed to equally serve both able-bodied individuals as well as those with a variety of disabilities,” said Ron Nelson, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids. “We are grateful for our partnership […]
Silverware For People With Dementia By Eatwell Is Tailor Made For Impairments Caused By The Disease
Although many people associate dementia primarily with memory loss, those who have lost loved ones to the condition know that dementia can transform everyday tasks into major hurdles. Inspired by her own grandmother’s struggle with Alzheimer’s disease, designer Sha Yao created Eatwell, atableware set designed for people with dementia and other impairments. Ingeniously designed to […]
Integrating social activities for seniors in communities improves mental health and overall well-being
Most people believe that their memory and cognition are going to decline as they grow older. Dementia is so widespread today that many adults now believe it’s just a normal part of the aging and dying process. Research from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health proves otherwise. Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/050776_senior_citizens_social_activities_mental_health.html#ixzz49GAZ00el
Can Technology Ease The Burden Of Caring For People With Dementia?
A doctor I interviewed for this story told me something that stuck with me. He said for every person with dementia he treats, he finds himself caring for two patients. That’s how hard it can be to be a caregiver for someone with dementia.
Smartwatches and apps can make life easier for children with autism or ADHD
Researchers believe that children with autism or Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can benefit from technologies originally developed for older people. Welfare technology has long been associated with helping older people cope at home for as much of their lives as possible.SINTEF researchers are now investigating whether technologies such as digital calendars and smartwatches can also […]
Opening the Classroom Door for Children with Autism
We can all probably remember how we were taught to swim. Some of us had parents who took us to swimming lessons in a safely constructed pool at the local YMCA, with numerous, trained adults right next to us in the pool and floaties on our arms, while we paddled on a kickboard for as […]
‘Design empathy’ builds inclusive spaces for people with autism
Fluorescent lights. A wall painted bright yellow. A smoke detector that keeps beeping through a meeting. These are things that you might encounter in an office or a classroom without much notice. But what if you saw those fluorescent lights flickering intensely and heard them emitting a painfully sharp buzz? Or if that yellow wall […]
The Amazing Village in The Netherlands Just for People with Dementia
Located in The Netherlands town of Weesp is a special gated village called Hogeweyk. It is notable because it has been designed specifically as a pioneering care facility for elderly people with dementia. The setting has been compared to that depicted in the film The Truman Show with doctors, nurses and specialists working around the […]
Designing the Future of Integrated Behavioral Health
Behavioral health covers a wide range of settings which may include psychiatric hospitals, psychiatric units in the general hospital environment, alcohol and addiction treatment facilities, behavioral health clinics, and emergency departments with psychiatric specialty. It is a diagnosis that covers a wide range of the population including children and adolescents, adults and the elderly, as […]
Behavioral health design
Each year, five to seven percent of U.S. adults have serious mental illnesses, which commonly include social phobia, major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), general anxiety, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder.