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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/M68985/01
Title: DESIGNING THE EXTERNAL PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT TO EXTEND QUALITY LIFE FOR OLDER PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA
Principal Investigator: Burton, Professor E
Other Investigators:
Williams, Professor K Blackman, Professor T Jenks, Professor M
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Anchor Trust More Group U K Ltd
Department: AAculty of Tech, Design and Environment
Organisation: Oxford Brookes University
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 08 February 2000 Ends: 07 February 2003 Value (£): 182,675
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Urban & Land Management
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Construction Healthcare
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Cognitive ability declines with age, and particularly rapidly with the onset of dementia, a condition predicted to affect an increasing number of the population over the next few decades. The influence of home adaptations on the quality of life of older people with dementia is currently receiving attention, but little is known about how the external environment can be better designed for those with dementia.The proposed research is a 3-year multi-method investigation of a sample of approximately 60 older people with dementia and a control group of about 25 without dementia, living in a range of urban locations in Oxfordshire. Using a combination of questionnaires, environmental assessments, diaries, and structured observations, the research will examine participants' cognition of their external environment, and will identify design factors that influence their ability to successfully negotiate it. The output will be guidance for designers at a variety of scales, from urban design to the design of street furniture, on the criteria to consider in developing urban areas that are accessible to those with cognitive impairment. This will provide the basis for the production of environments that improve the quality of life of older people, particularly those with dementia.
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Organisation Website: http://www.brookes.ac.uk