ABSTRACT
Dementia is a pathology in the brain that causes deterioration in memory function, behaviour, thinking and the ability to perform daily tasks, which results in increased dependency on others. Dementia has many types which, in the early stages, differentially affect cognitive ability of the patient and impact individuals’ ability to perform activities of daily living, in particular instrumental activities of daily living such as cooking, dressing, shopping and banking differently. This chapter discusses preventative strategies for different manifestations and stages of dementia and how design can support these endeavours. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia amongst the older adult population, accounting for 50–80% of all dementia cases. Vascular dementia (VaD) is considered the second most common cause of dementia, accounting for approximately 20% of cases. VaD can often occur with a sudden onset, which may be temporarily linked to a cerebral or cardiovascular event.
