World experts on dementia and design to gather in Stirling for major conference

The world’s leading experts on designing environments for people living with dementia are set to gather in Stirling for a major event looking at the latest developments in the sector. 

The University of Stirling’s Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) is hosting its second International Masterclass on Dementia Care, Design and Ageing (IMDDA) on 14-15 May. The event will bring together specialists from four continents to discuss design innovation, research and policy development. 

The masterclass aims to allow academics, engineers, architects, charities, health care providers and organisations to exchange knowledge on how to help the world’s growing ageing population live independently for longer.

Chief Architect of Stirling University’s DSDC, Lesley Palmer, said: “Collaboration is the key to improving quality of life for older people and by bringing together internationally-recognised experts we can share the latest innovations, research and cutting edge developments in designing for people with dementia and the ageing population.

“There are currently an estimated 50 million people living with dementia around the world – a figure expected to double in 20 years. This masterclass reinforces our commitment to improving the lives of people with dementia and continuing to develop our leading work in this area.”

Speakers set to present at the event include Frank Ehrenberg, Principal of Marchese Partners International in Australia, a specialist in designing dementia friendly housing; public health specialist Dr Una Lynch of Sonrisa Solutions, Northern Ireland, who will discuss the ethical implications of developments within technology and caring robotics; and Ryoji Noritake, President of the Health & Global Policy Institute, a Tokyo based not-for-profit health policy think tank.

Professor of Global Ageing at the University of Stirling, Ian Philp, will use the masterclass to showcase a new toolkit devised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to assess the intrinsic capacity and social care needs of older people in primary care settings. The University of Stirling has been contracted by WHO to project manage the implementation and evaluation of a series of pilot studies trialling the ICOPE toolkit in 2019.