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Helping people with dementia feel at home

Creating a sense of ownership for residents St Vincent's Carseldine

At St Vincent's Carseldine in Queensland, Australia, the team wanted to transform institutional feeling hallways and create a sense of ownership for residents.

The team chose True Doors to help achieve these goals. They followed a person-centred project process following the principles of dignified dementia design.

Residents and Families were involved in the choosing of the doors - It is a dementia support unit so elders who were able to make choices were supported to do that. You can see some elders with the A3 laminated sheets created to help them choose.

Where the elders were not able to express an opinion, families were emailed links to the True Doors website and the catalogue. Most of the choices were Australian doors with a few International.

Creating a sense of ownership for residents St Vincents Carseldine with a True Doors transformation - Photo 1
Creating a sense of ownership for residents St Vincents Carseldine with a True Doors transformation - Photo 2
Creating a sense of ownership for residents St Vincents Carseldine with a True Doors transformation - Photo 3

Following the transformation

A before shot and the same door with proud owner after the True Doors were applied.

That clinical hospital like look is gone. The doors don't all look the same anymore. Everyone has a style to suit them!

There's agreement, the feel of space has improved and there's more socialising with the doors a topic of conversation!

Transform impersonal hallways into neighborhoods with homes.

Help people to recognize and find their own doors. Increase privacy and sense of safety. Stimulate reminiscence and social interaction. Help elders feel at home, and energize staff with a beautiful workplace.