Designing Nurturing Experiences for People Living with Advanced Dementia

People who live with the advanced stages of dementia are some of the most socially isolated individuals in society. The progression of the disease ultimately destroys their ability to communicate and sustain their relationships with loved ones and caregivers. Finding ways to enhance social interaction, stimulating interpersonal connections and maintain a person's interest in living, is essential if they are to maintain a good quality of life through the progression of the disease. Playful and creative approaches in dementia care have proven well-being benefits (Algar-Skaife et al., 2017; Killick, 2013; Tonkin and Whitaker, 2016). The use of playful objects has been shown to enhance communication and improve mental well-being (Branco et al., 2016; Kenning, 2017; Treadaway, 2018). Despite this, there remains stigma concerning the use of objects to cuddle and hold that might be construed as infantilising, when used by an older person (Mitchell and O’Donnell, 2013; Tanner, 2017). Changing these attitudes, by creating objects to support well-being and pleasure is one aim of the LAUGH (Ludic Artifacts Using Gesture and Haptics) research presented in this chapter. This research describes the design of a soft wearable interactive object called HUG®, which is designed to be cuddled, to bring comfort, reduce agitation and anxiety, and increase opportunities for communication for those living with advanced dementia.