The MinD project “Designing for people with dementia” was present at the 30 edition of the Alzheimer Europe Conference, with a virtual booth and an online seminar. Kristina Niedderer, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, pointed out the potential of design to support the psychosocial well-being of people living with dementia and presented two designs arising from the project.
For recall, the MinD project was a four-year project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie research and innovation programme. Interviews, focus groups and design sessions involving people living with dementia and their carers were conducted to better understand their needs and wishes regarding aspects such as social engagement and self-empowerment.
The seminar offered the possibility to discuss with attendees the two designs, which were developed in collaboration with people with dementia and carers, in order to help them to focus on the present moment and to face the future with more confidence: “This is Me”, a storytelling board-game, and the “Living the Life” booklet. This last one is already available in three languages (English, German, and Spanish) and can be downloaded and printed for free, from the MinD website: www.designingfordementia.eu.
This session was also an occasion to introduce the new two-year I-Do Service project “Facilitating Inclusion and Empowerment of People Living with Dementia through Access to Cultural and Creative Activities”, which began in October this year. Benefitting from previous experience with MinD, Isabelle Tournier will work to develop a user-friendly service for people living with mild dementia, to allow them to plan for and create or participate in tailored opportunities to realise themselves. Hosted by the Manchester Metropolitan University, this project is supervised by Kristina Niedderer and funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships programme.
For more information please visit www.designingfordementia.eu or contact Kristina Niedderer K.Niedderer@mmu.ac.uk or Isabelle Tournier I.Tournier@mmu.ac.uk
