83,000 New Zealanders live with dementia. Here’s how simple design changes can help

Getty Images A dark doormat that looks like a hole in the floor.

A patterned carpet that appears uneven.

A chair that becomes difficult to recognise or move around.

These are just some of the ways dementia can change how people experience their surroundings, even within homes they’ve lived in for decades.

As the condition affects how the brain processes visual information, judging depth and distance – and recognising everyday objects – becomes increasingly difficult and hazardous.

Today, an estimated 83,000 New Zealanders live with dementia – a figure projected to nearly double by 2050 – with the vast majority remaining in their own homes.

Despite growing awareness and gradual improvements in building retrofit programmes, most New Zealand homes aren’t designed for their needs.

In making homes safer, our research at the University of Auckland’s Centre for Co-Created Ageing Research suggests that basic design choices can make a meaningful difference.

Our new practical guidance includes changes as simple as choosing the right flooring and colour contrasts, and giving more prominence to taps and light switches.

When home no longer feels safe For a person with dementia, features that once seemed ordinary or helpful can become confusing or difficult to recognise.

Dementia-friendly design aims to reduce that confusion by making these spaces easier to understand – from where to walk and sit to finding the bathroom or using familiar fittings.

Consider flooring.

Colour and contrast can both help and hinder, depending on how they’re used.

Consistent colours and tones tend to work best, as patterns or sudden changes in colour can be mistaken for obstacles or changes in depth.