defiddes BLOG

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!



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. 

Rails assist with balance, support and transfers so the selecting the right product for your needs as well ensuring compliance with standards such as AS1428 is important. There are different types and applications….

Horizontal rails are effective for side transfers from wheelchairs onto toilets and can provide some forearm support during sit to stand transfers whereas the vertical or angled rails provide support throughout the sit to stand transfer. Often both are present. Either horizontal or vertical can be installed in showers depending on need and position of any existing fixtures.

We have all experienced the uncomfortable or even debilitating effects of glare.  Too often we step out of a darker house into the bright outdoors or we are driving to reach the top of a hill or crest and get blinded by the full sun! Glare is a visual sensation caused by too much brightness and can be termed disability glare or discomfort glare.

We learnt about the basic senses (sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch), internal senses (such as kinaesthetic, equilibrium, pressure, stretch) and some controversial ones such as passing of time and premonition in part one. The impact of ageing on these senses continued the theme in part two. We conclude in part three to show you how designing for the senses becomes so important!

Older people experience changes to vision, colour recognition and perception so you need to consider furniture and flooring selections accordingly.

All of the eye structures change with ageing. By the time you turn 60, your pupils may decrease to about one third of the size they were when you were 20. The pupils may react more slowly in response to darkness or bright light. The lens becomes yellowed, less flexible, and slightly cloudy.

The sharpness of your vision gradually declines with difficulty focusing on close-up objects. Glare is tolerated less and you have trouble adapting to darkness or bright light.  Older people have reduced peripheral vision and experience difficulties differentiating colours – particularly blues.

Read on to find out what else changes as we age!

A ‘sense’ is defined as any system which consists of a group of sensory cell types which respond to specific stimuli, convert this to nerve signals which are carried to a particular part of the brain where the signals are received,  interpreted and turned into meaningful sensations.

A common understanding of our senses is that humans see, touch, smell taste and hear.  Modern neuroscience is challenging this and suggesting there might be up to 33 senses. This month we explore the basic and internal senses plus some controversial senses!

Do funky design features lure skilled staff to your workplace? Not necessarily reports Libby Sanders. 

People are searching for quiet or time out spaces in the face of rising work related stress.  With up to 49% of the Australian workforce experiencing this situation, several organisations have recognised the need for zen-like zones and responded accordingly to support their staff to recover from cognitive fatigue and to reduce stress.  

Christmas can be a time of festivity, family gatherings, cheer and goodwill.  Equally it can be a time of stress, confusion and sadness. This can be said for all of us and not just older people or those living in aged care facilities. Selecting suitable gifts for a person living in residential care can be tricky so consider gifting sensory experiences – massages, manicures, pedicures or animal visits. Or even the most valuable gift of all – your time. 

It is widely known that people’s vision naturally changes as they age with reduced visual function and performance.

What is wrong with this picture? The seat is too low, the armrests are too high and there is no room to move the feet backwards in order to be able to lean forward and get up from the chair….  It is important to be aware the impact furniture design, specification and placement can have on a person’s ability to function as independently as possible within their living environments.  Here are a few considerations to assist:

Mealtimes are an opportunity for a wonderful sensory experience – delicious smells, delightful taste, enticing visuals. Mmmmm. There’s a problem if you a) can’t get to the table b) can’t locate a chair to sit down or c) it is not a seating arrangement that meets your needs.  You can’t participate in one of life’s most enjoyable pleasures! However, this can be easily addressed if you consider the following:

As there has been a move away from environments which are institutional in appearance, we also have experienced a shift away from the plethora of high backed vinyl chairs lined up against the walls.  More is now known and understood about the importance of seating and the different types of seating required in aged care environments.  This segment will provide an overview of seating and we will focus specifically on dining chairs and lounge chairs in the next two editions of the newsletter.

Acoustics in aged care is rapidly becoming a major issue. With providers opting for more hard surfaces such as vinyl flooring throughout a facility this is having a profound impact on the health and wellbeing of the residents.

Thoughtful design can reduce the impact of noise and improve the quality of our living environment.  The acoustics of a space depends on the structural and interior makeup of the building and should be considered early in the design process. Noise is classified as either airborne noise, which travels through the air or impact noise through vibration.