Our surroundings shape how we move, connect, and feel. For people living with dementia, small environmental changes can make a big difference – helping them more confidently find their way, stay engaged, and feel at ease. In this module, you’ll learn how to look at familiar spaces through a new lens, spotting opportunities to make them more welcoming and easier to navigate. You’ll learn a step-by-step approach to identifying improvements – from quick, low-cost fixes to long-term planning – and see how each level of action builds on the last. The goal isn’t perfection – it’s progress. Each change you make contributes to a more inclusive, dementia supportive community.
The Need for Calm
Part 1: Play the first matching game below (find the pairs of matching object types)
Now consider:
- How many attempts did it take?
- How long did it take?
- How did you feel doing it?
Part 2: Play the second matching game below (find the pairs of matching object types). It is a very similar task, but this time there are distractions that interfere with your thinking.
Now consider:
- How many attempts did it take?
- How long did it take?
- How did you feel doing it?
Reflect…
- What did you notice about the two games?
- What do you think this means for people living with dementia who already experience challenges with memory and thinking?
As you experienced in this activity, even small visual or auditory distractions can make it harder to focus and remember details. For people living with dementia, these effects are amplified. Creating calm, predictable spaces, with other supports in place, too, helps reduce stress and makes it easier for everyone to think clearly and more confidently navigate their space. In the rest of the lesson, we’ll explore some of the ways we can do this.