Activities for elderly people suffering from Alzheimer

Design Concept

We intend to help elderly people suffering from severe cognitive difficulties, such as those
experienced by Alzheimer’s and neurodegenerative disease patients.

We are looking to provide respite and stimulation activities on boards to people experiencing
the extreme negative effects of Alzheimer’s disease, by giving them constant access to many
independent activities, which will encourage them to interact, feel and use their hands.

We intend to install these activities, especially adapted designed, in the user’s everyday
environment (e.g. in hallways).

It is essential that boards and activities feel modern, playful and sophisticated to respect the
dignity of the elderly and to avoid infantilizing them. All connotations of childhood should be
removed (see illustrations in the appendix).

We have already designed a few activities and realized a couple of prototypes (see
illustrations in the appendix).

We are also studying the possibility to group some activities on a larger board (see
illustrations in the appendix – i.e. 6 activities on a large board).

Activities
Our range of activities is inspired by the meeting of two worlds, the warmth and familiarity of
the old and commonplace, coupled with a playful, bright and joyous contemporary energy.
Some activities could include old objects, or make reference to them in the hope of evoking
old memories and familiar sensations.

However, traditional objects should be largely reinterpreted and reinvented to allow

participants to playfully engage their imagination, rather than merely making use of the object
itself – we may for example use the dial of a phone rather than old fashioned phone in its
entirety.

Moving cogs and gears is an example of an activity that perfectly represents the meeting of
these two worlds.

The activities have to be designed to act as a source of relief rather than over-stimulation. We
want to avoid creating feelings of friction, failure or powerlessness. For example, the gears
used in certain activities should turn both ways and require only a minimal amount of force to
turn.

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Each unit could be used in different ways, on many levels: a main activity of organizing and
arranging colored counters can also be simplified, users can instead focus on the physical
sensation of moving the counters or even more simply spend time enjoying the visual contrast
of the lines and colors.

Activities should principally encourage active reflection, movement, construction, tactile

exploration and multi-sensory engagement, partly through the use of familiar objects and
materials.

The majority of the movements required should be achievable by a person with limited motor
skills as well as being of interest to the more dexterous. They should have a range of moving
parts, which could either be moved vertically, horizontally or in a circular motion. Users
should also be able to open, close and turn sections without having to apply much force.

Materials
We intend to use modern, high quality materials.

Wood – All types of wood providing they are of a high enough quality to withstand certain
processes.

Metal – Can be used with different finishes (raw, polished, engraved, painted) for visual effect
but also more generally to ensure the integrity and functionality of the unit.

Plastic/PMMA – This robust, transparent and versatile material can be used to create light
games.

Cloth – Fabric can be incorporated but it must be very robust.

Shapes and Motifs

Basic shapes and geometric patterns should be used so that activities are more user- friendly.

We will favour simple, pure forms rather than overloaded, hard to access patterns. At times
abstract imagery may be used but it should always remain accessible and intuitive to the user.

It is also possible to make references to art, incorporating elements of the work of artist such
as Hans Arp, Miro, Kandinsky, Sonia & Robert Delaunay, Matisse, Serge Poliakoff and Jean
Tingely.

Effects
Users will be invited to explore the idea of cause and effect; simple actions create simple
reactions, repetition leads to the same effect. Their senses will be engaged through activities,
which stimulate touch, sight, sound and smell. It is also possible to add power supplied
activities as long as they only use safe LED light elements.

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Colors
Users do not respond to dull, plain, dark colours. Therefore, we prefer to use vibrant colours
to make the units bright and more modern.

However, colors must differ from those used for children’s toys. They must be bright but
slightly more sophisticated (monochrome or subdued tones), visually striking but not
aggressively so.

Sounds
The sounds made by the activities should be soft, so as not to bother other people around.

Safety
The shapes and materials must not be likely to cause injury; the angles and edges should not
be too sharp. Any wood must not splinter.

Activities must be very robust to avoid deterioration and damage – tearing, jamming,
breakage etc.

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Dimensions and Technical Constraints
mm = 1 millimeter
(25,4 millimeter = 1 inch)

Overall Dimensions

Wall + 5mm (metal hooks) + 10mm (plywood board) + 26mm (aluminium rail) + 15mm
(solid wood unit base)

Backdrop

Length x width: 380 mm x 380 mm

Thickness: 15 mm
Must factor in 20mm at the back to affix it to the wall

The Games/Activities

Thickness: in relation to the backdrop surface

- 20mm (recessed activities)

+ 25mm (raised activities)
+ 50mm if there is a protruding handle

Fastenings

We intend to attach metal fixings on the back of each activity.

This does not need to be added to the plans but 20mm must be left to accommodate them.

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Technical Drawings

Backdrop 380mm x 380mm

Available surface are 340mm x 340mm

Backdrop thickness 15mm

Maximum protrusion 25mm

Maximum recess 20mm

Example :

The front panel is blue

The back panel is red

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 Examples

Example 1 - Cascade

A square handle pushes a round ball down a set of steps.

If the ball is pushed hard it can go through a hole and around the entire frame; the game is
protected by a clear PMMA window. The triangle at the top of the game lights up when the
handle is moved, it automatically turns off after 30 seconds.

This activity encourages motor control (moving and angling the handle) and has visual and
auditory elements (the light up triangle and the falling ball).

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Example 2 : Fish

Two fish’s shapes are layered on top of the background.

Their tails move when someone presses them. The circles contain marbles, which roll around.
The circles would be translucent and back lit; pressing the tail would trigger this light.

This activity would encourage basic motor skills (pressing on the tail). There would also be a
visual element (the color of the marbles and the light) and a tactile aspect (the texture of the
marbles and their shape).

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Example 3 : Touching and Rolling

The spheres (circles) are marbles, which will roll around in the holes.

The marbles could be made so that they can move freely or only roll along an axis.

This activity has a visual element (the color of the marbles) and a tactile one (the texture and
feel of the marbles); it will encourage basic motor skills.

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Example 4 : – Scales

This activity features two rows of wood, in the shape of scales, which can be individually
moved back and forth, from left to right.

The activity encourages the use of simple motor skills. There is a degree of visual interest (the
colour of the scales), a tactile aspect (the texture of the scales); the scales also make sound as
they move.

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Example 5 : – Rocks

Pieces of wood or other materials will be fixed to the board and turn on an axis. A word will
be written on each ‘rock’ to say which way round it should go.

The activity will require basic motor skills (to rotate the rocks), a degree of tactical thinking
(to turn them in the right direction) and reading. There will be visual stimulation from the
colour of the shapes and the text, a tactile element (from the different materials the rocks are
made of) and an auditory element (as the rocks turn and collide).

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Example 6 : – Two combination of Six Activities each

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Naïve Visuals (Child) Sophisticated Visuals (Adult)

Matisse (original) In the style of Matisse

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