Jodi Sturge | University of Twente

'Supporting Dignity in Dementia Care Through Design'

The architecture and design of residential care environments are critical in supporting the health outcomes of patients, residents and staff. In residential care environments for people with dementia, interior designs and technologies are often put in place to keep residents safe from harm by restricting mobility and distractions. However, relying on such measures can violate human rights and impact the dignity and well-being of residents. Based on a scoping review and design ethnography fieldwork, Jodi will discuss how interior environment design features work in practice to support and restrict the mobility of people with dementia. Plus, she will discuss how the field of human-building interaction (HBI) can provide valuable insights to inform future designs and design technologies that promote novel interaction, inclusivity and the well-being of people with dementia.

- Research partner: UNO-UMCG

Biography

Jodi Sturge (she/her) is a health geographer and design researcher living in the Netherlands. Jodi is an assistant professor in interaction design with the Department of Design, Production and Management in the Faculty of Engineering Technology at the University of Twente. Her mixed-method research focuses on mobility, human building interaction and well-being to inform the design of healthcare facilities, home environments and other social infrastructure. Additionally, Jodi has experience with co-design, evidence-based design and citizen science projects to improve public health, healthcare services and community outcomes in the Netherlands, Canada and South Africa. She has extensive experience working on interdisciplinary, international research projects in Australia, Canada, Germany and Sweden. She has published research findings in a variety of journals, including Social Science and Medicine, Health Environments Research and Design and the Gerontologist.