Designing for Dementia: How Smart Technology and Environments Support Sensory Changes | Professor Andrea Tales

Episode Summary

Designing for Dementia: How Smart Technology and Environments Support Sensory Changes | Professor Andrea Tales

Repost: In this episode, I am honoured to be joined by Professor Andrea Tales, Professor of Neuropsychology and Dementia Research at Swansea University, Fellow of the British Psychological Society, and Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales.

Together, we explore why dementia should be understood as more than a memory disorder. Drawing on research from her co-authored book, A New Approach to Dementia: Examining Sensory and Perceptual Impairment, Professor Tales explains how changes in vision, perception, and sensory processing can profoundly affect the daily lives of people living with dementia.

Using real-life caregiving experiences, we discuss how visual perception changes may explain behaviours that are often misunderstood, why thoughtful environmental design matters, and how SMART technologies such as Alexa and digital clocks can support independence, reduce distress, and improve quality of life when tailored to the individual.

Whether you are a family caregiver, healthcare professional, or simply interested in understanding dementia more deeply, this episode offers practical, evidence-based insights that could transform the way you think about dementia care.

 

Five Key Takeaways

1. Dementia is more than memory loss. Changes in vision, perception, balance, and sensory processing can have a significant impact on behaviour, independence, and quality of life.
2. What looks like challenging behaviour may actually be a sensory or perceptual difficulty. Understanding how the person experiences their environment helps caregivers respond with greater empathy and compassion.
3. Thoughtful environmental design matters. Simple changes to lighting, colour contrast, flooring, and familiar surroundings can reduce confusion, distress, and the risk of falls.
4. SMART technology works best when it is personalised. Devices such as Alexa, digital clocks, and other assistive technologies should be introduced based on the person's individual needs, abilities, and stage of dementia—not because they worked for someone else.
5. Technology should enhance, not replace, human care. The greatest benefits are seen when technology supports meaningful relationships, person-centred care, and everyday independence.

Throughout the conversation, I also share real-life experiences from my own dementia care journey, highlighting how understanding sensory changes transformed the way I supported people living with dementia.