How incredible is this paper art by illustrator and paper artist, Yulia Brodskaya!
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a happy holidays from the team at de Fiddes Design.
Music like art can often influence our mood and have a positive effect on our well-being.
This incredible piece by Debra Hurd perfectly captures the sounds and movement of Jazz with its bright strokes and strong textures.
It seems time has accelerated these last couple of months and already here we are thinking about Christmas and the end of the year!! What we ought to do now is slow down the clock and take time to enjoy these lovely sunny spring days. However, that is not the case here at de Fiddes as we will be busy right up until we close for our Xmas break.
The LASA conference has just been held in Adelaide where I had the opportunity to speak about connection to place and the importance of place to each and every one of us, especially those living in aged care. My talk was very relevant with the theme of the conference being “Ageing Transformed ….. The Dawning of a new Era”.
All too often when visiting an aged care facility the noise from the TV dominates and quite often residents sitting in the TV lounge still cannot hear it. In many instances they are positioned either too far away from the TV or there is just too much other noise going on around them.
Recently I visited a trade fair in Singapore and came across an ingenious product called the Music Cushion. The Music Cushion is beneficial for people with hearing loss by delivering a multi sensory experience.
Read More
Music means so much to so many people. Whether it is through iPods, smart phones, CD’s, radios or vinyls people can listen to music from sun up to sun down and from birth to as they pass from this life. Music has been identified as contributing to autobiographical memories which enables us to make judgements about ourselves and others. A link has been identified between working memory for musical stimuli and for verbal stimuli which led to the conclusion that the process of learning music improves the learning of verbal tasks. Read on for more about music memory and to test your recall of popular songs about memory from each decade!
Read More
This month we would like to explore design in a slightly different way and think a little more creatively.
As our topic is about the “Power of Words” I thought I would highlight a wonderful library design that I saw in a park in Tokyo.
Read More
Bibliotherapy, simply put, it is the use of literature to help people deal with their ailments. Information is emerging on the positive impact it may have on the wellbeing of people living with dementia. Internationally recognised, bibliotherapy involves the provision of carefully selected and evaluated books (fiction and non-fiction) and poetry.
Read More
The power of words was no better illustrated than at the Aging & Society 8th Interdisciplinary Conference held in Tokyo last month. The discussions and papers were really interesting and very much focused on the latest evidence based research. I was speaking at the Conference and my talk was entitled “Design is not for Philosophy; it’s for Life” which is a famous quote by Issey Miyake.
Read More
Creativity can be found everywhere. Even in a library through the placement of book spines to create an image!
We always strive to include libraries and or reading nooks in each project for those to enjoy some time away to relax with a good book!
Read More
There is a huge body of evidence to support the use of weighted items to help calm a person and there are a variety of ways weight treatment can be incorporated into therapy sessions and daily activities.
The product we would like to showcase this month is the weighted blanket. The weighted blanket is currently perceived by both consumers and staff as one of the most helpful of the sensory tools used by people during crisis states. For those of you who can’t sleep there is evidence to support using weighted blankets to relieve Insomnia!
Read More
Our newsletter this month is all about Calm and nothing could be calmer or more relaxing than going on holidays. Kathryn and I ventured off recently to celebrate a friends 60th birthday in Cambodia and whilst places like Phnom Penh and Siem Reap are frenetic, cruising down the Mekong on a beautiful old timber sailing ship certainly was very relaxing.
Read More
A recent study showed important components of design which can support the well-being of the elderly to include a variety of spaces, comfort and safety. This led to discussion in the office on ‘calmness’ and various ways this can be achieved. What better source of inspiration than the poets, leaders and brave people of yesteryear?
Read More
As designers we know art can often affect our mood and create ambience within a space.
Colour, technique and placement encourage different reactions and emotions. Lively colours will often give a feeling of generally having more energy, while darker colours can bring a sense of melancholy along with a calming, reassuring effect.
Nothing epitomizes winter more than sitting in front of a fireplace mesmerized by the flames making you feel cosy and warm. Introducing Dimplex fireplaces..
Read More
A fireplace is warm, familiar and creates a focal point in the room. Who hasn’t been beguiled by the flickering flames and whiled away many an hour in a comfy chair by the fireplace? J.W. Corley wrote in 1960 that his ideal county home for the aged would focus on heating.
Read More
Every month seems to be a busy one here at de Fiddes and this past month was no exception.
This month we visited an award winning facility in SA. This facility absolutely perfected the small scale design model within a vertical building - very impressive!
Read More
In the throes of winter we tend to retreat, seeking warm and cosy spaces. We love this space with its focal fireplace, abundance of greenery and wood finishes. A perfect space to curl up with a good book and relax!
Read More
This month I would like to highlight Intergenerational play equipment by Lappset.
Play is important to us all both young and old and having equipment that both generations can use together or individually is important. It also give us a wonderful opportunity to come together to interact and play.
Read More
This month I had the pleasure of attending a Placemaking workshop that was run by David Engwicht from Creative Communities International. There is no doubt that this discipline will become an important component when designing residential aged care.
Read More
Seek the wisdom of the ages but look at the world through the eyes of a child (R.Wild)
Many societies have changed over time with fewer families living near or spending time with older family members.
Read More