Designing for the Life Span Segment 4
Designing for the Life Span Segment 4 
Previous Slide Next Slide Segment
Index Home First Slide Last Slide
[D]
The environment is more than the sum of walls, appliances, furniture and our possessions. It is the place where the most meaningful of interactions occur- for the elderly, on their terms- and for the young, seeing older people in context- in their surroundings.
Listen to the Audio (MP3, 430 KB) or read the transcript:
The home is identity after all. It is an expression of who people are and what they have been and have become. Children and grandchildren respond to their elders in terms of place. Several behavioral scientists have remarked on the accumulation of memorabilia that abound in the houses of older adults... "clutter." However, the sustaining of independence and the continuance of self-esteem is partly dependent upon what people make of where they live. This aspect of aging-in-place cannot be underestimated as individual older adults begin to experience memory loss and possible onset of dementia. The reminders around the home become even more important. They move from being decorative to having a function and meaning.
Previous Slide Next Slide Segment
Index
Home First Slide Last Slide