Caring Community

Re-imagining Long-term residential Care necessitates changes at multiple scales, from the system of governance to urban planning, architecture, ideologies about living and sharing together, and spaces themselves. With the rising demographic of old people, there’s a crucial need to stop isolating them and make them active members of society. In his book Lost in Space: Architecture and Dementia, the architect Eckhard Feddersen describes seven characteristics of an age-friendly culture that can serve as a basis for future design around the theme of caring communities (Feddersen, 2014) :

Inclusion of older people in social, political and cultural discourse
Intergenerational perspective
Potential in old age
▫ Social spaces that promote independence, accountability and participation
Respect of individual uniqueness
Break down social inequalities among old people
▫ Recognize and acknowledge the rights, entitlements and needs of all