Full course description
This course has been developed by the University of Auckland, Alzheimers NZ and the Village Architect.
In the Living with Dementia Short Course Series participants will learn how to help create environments that better support people living with dementia (mate wareware). Participants will better understand how dementia affects the way we see, understand, and move through our surroundings—and what we do to make things easier.
Modality: Self paced, online
Duration: 7 hours (required to complete this course)
Price: $725.00 incl. GST
Please note before completing this course, we highly recommend participants first complete these foundational courses:
Introduction to Dementia Design Aotearoa
Dementia Design Aotearoa: Design Essentials
Across these two courses, you’ll learn simple, practical ways to adapt your home or care setting to reduce stress, support independence, and create a greater sense of safety and comfort.
Short course structure and topics covered:
This course is the first of the advanced courses designed to help those designing for older people create environments that better support people living with dementia (mate wareware) at home.
Participants will learn about house typologies for Aotearoa New Zealand and approaches to master planning housing, and how location and neighbourhood can influence wellbeing for people living with dementia and their families. The course goes in-depth about the rooms inside an average house: bathroom, bedroom, dining & living room, kitchen, garden, the fixtures, fittings & finishes, and includes an additional module that covers technology.
Participants will learn how changes to an environment — often simple and low-cost — can make a meaningful difference for the person living with dementia, and for those who care for them.
We provide practical guidance for retrofitting existing homes or building new ones to better house people with dementia and their families.
Learning Outcomes:
After completing these online modules, we would expect you to be able to:
- Apply design principles to create or improve living spaces that support the wairua and needs of older adults with dementia.
- Identify key features of dementia-friendly design in different parts of the home, such as the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, and garden, using māramatanga and understandings of dementia.
- Understand how thoughtful design can improve safety, comfort, whanaungatanga and connections for people living with dementia.
Who should attend?
People who live with dementia or are caring for someone living with dementia.
People who shape our built environments (including care practitioners, architects, developers, interior designers, social housing providers, renovators and builders).
Payment for short courses is normally by credit card. If you need to pay by invoice or require assistance, please email shortcourses@auckland.ac.nz. Please note that the University does not issue individual invoices for amounts less that $500 New Zealand dollars.
By enrolling in a Short Course at the University of Auckland you agree to the Short Course Terms and Conditions