NEW YORK: It’s challenging when dementia or Alzheimer’s disease enters the picture.
Now imagine an elderly person with Alzheimer’s and a developmental disability, such as Down syndrome or autism, as well as a behavioural disorder like hoarding.
Those are the types of clients who are served by a nonprofit that runs group homes for developmentally disabled adults. Many of them have multiple problems — not just age-related issues, but also low language skills and obsessive tendencies — that make traditional housing inadequate for their needs.
So the not-for-profit has redesigned one of its group homes. The idea is that differently designed spaces might alleviate some of the residents’ difficulties.
“Design can be part of the treatment plan,” said…