| As the baby boomers continue to age there is an increasing concern regarding the proper, dignified housing and care of this population. Studies suggest that an important element of successful aging is one's opportunity to live in a stable environment.1 This thesis will explore the adaptation of the built environment to diseases that cause failure of the human mind; it will focus on a design project which will address the aging population who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD). This design proposal will allow people with mild to moderate AD to live and stay in one place as they live out their final years. Furthermore, the proposal will address the importance of family and care-giver employees. This project will accomplish this aim through a designed physical environment, combining various components that have been shown to enhance and maintain the ability to function and improve quality of life for people with AD.2 The proposed urban location is selected to offer the residents services and cultural stimulation. The design of effective, well-planned spaces and architecture aims to improve the quality of life for people with AD, associated employees, and visiting family members.;2Wilbert Gesler, Healing Places, (New York: Bowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2003), 1 I.;1Nancy Hooyman, and Asuman Kiyak, Social Gerontology: A Multidisciplinary Perspective, (Boston: Alyn and Bacon Inc., 1999). |
