Attila Lawrence is a Professor at School of Architecture from University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He has extensive expertise in the design/build industry as designer and/or constructor of record of more than thirty major residential projects for elderly clients in California. His recent work and invited lecture presentations addressed interventional design strategies to optimize multi-generational environments; mental health correlates of environmental spatial qualities; design interventions to support neurodegenerative disease management; and the strategic management of total project delivery systems. He is collaborated with University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and Center for Biobehavioral Interdisciplinary Science.

A growing number of aging adults want to remain in multi generational communities rather than relocating to retirement

communities, or having to resort to an institutional setting. To productively function in an environment where all generations interact and live well together, however, one’s ability to manage diminishing cognitive and physical conditions precipitated by the aging process is a major factor that bears on everyone’s quality of life. Because the designed environment frequently plays a significant role in the occurrence of neurodegenerative disorders that involve biological changes, it is self-evident that design strategies intended to support the management of these symptoms daily must be integral to multicomponent intervention strategies and account for their biological and behavioral impact. To operationalize the concept of healthy aging, meaning that it would provide a safe and comfortable environment for those experiencing functional changes related to aging, this presentation summarizes evidence for the development of translational neuroscience-informed design strategies that have the potential to support the management of neuropsychiatric symptoms, a common feature of all neurodegenerative dementias in the elderly.

Joaquim Parra Marujo is a Gerontologist, Coordinate Professor of Gerontology and Transpersonal Psychology in Research Unit of Transpersonal Psychology and Gerontology. He is also a Visiting Professor of Transpersonal Psychology in Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada. He has PhD in Social and Cultural Anthropology, Master in Clinical Mental Health, Master in Sociology, Economics and Politics of the Lusophone Space. He is also a member of the following societies like Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Portuguese Society of Geography, Portuguese Society of Anthropology and Ethnology, Portuguese Association of Psycho-gerontology, Network of Latin American Anthropologists and International Association of Counselors and Therapists. He has more than 40 articles published in journals and books in the specialty of gerontology, psychology and design and he gave more than 150 submissions and interviews at conferences, seminars, TV, radio fields of gerontology, geriatrics, transpersonal psychology and design.

Aim & Objectives: With this work we aim to: validate the importance of smart skirting board (SSB) to create a holistic therapeutic space; stimulate cognitively older people with Alzheimer's and reconnect older people to spirituality through relaxation, meditation and hypnosis.

 

Methods: This research was conducted at the residence of São Pedro in Malveira, Portugal and included forty-five elderly people with ages between 75 and 95 years old. The diagnosis of probable Alzheimer dementia was established following the neurological criteria. For this study we used a room equipped with the SSB® (an invention of J Marujo and V Fernandes) as a holistic therapeutic tool that had integrated a Snoezelen system; a laser system; music; video; objects with different smells, textures and colors and different aromas (orange, lemon, strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, etc.). The sessions with 50 minutes per week, carried out between May 2016 and August 2017, were divided into two categories: One to do cognitive stimulation and another to reconnect older people to spirituality. The results of cognitive stimulation’s sessions were registered in a battery of neuropsychological tests to assess cognitive function. The sessions to reconnect older people to spirituality through meditation and relaxation techniques have been proven with a gerontotranscendence’s questionnaire.

 

Results: In this holistic therapeutic space created with SSB we stimulated the primary senses such as vision, hearing, touch, taste, smell, providing feelings of enjoyment, promoting cognitive development and meeting with spirituality (Tao). We verified that all participants with Alzheimer's dementia had significant improvements and those who wanted to participate in sessions to reconnecting with spirituality, also had reconnected to religiosity.

 

Conclusions: The SSB allows you to create a therapeutic space that stirs up feelings of joy, pleasure, well-being and happiness. At the same time can also be used as a tool for a learning experience, cognitive stimulation in the treatment of pain, anxiety, depression, stress, relaxation and recreation. A critical analysis of this study shows the importance of neuropsychological rehabilitation programs through a holistic therapeutic space created by the SSB in stimulating cognitive abilities. Through relaxation techniques, meditation and hypnosis is possible reconnect older people to spirituality providing them welfare and happiness.