Overview

Australia has an ageing population, so it’s more important now than ever to design for the future. As the proportion of older people in the community grows, it is time to discover that the ageing process can be a seamless, uplifting and pleasurable experience – with a little bit of planning and consideration in design.
As a society, we need to settle on policies and strategies that not only allow older Australians to meet their own aspirations in terms of health, quality of life and independence, but also minimise the cost of this transformation to the broader population.
Titled ‘Considered Bathroom Design for an Ageing Population’, this session of CPD Live focuses on the role that design – or more specifically bathroom design – can play in fulfilling these important societal goals.
Beginning by outlining current demographic trends, the ageing process, and the attractions of ‘Ageing in Place’ as a genuine alternative to residential aged care, the session will go on to identify the various design strategies (and product choices) that architects and designers can employ when designing for an ageing population.

Learning Outcomes

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this presentation, you should be able to:

• Identify general considerations associated with bathroom design for aged care and ageing in place contexts

• Explain aspects of ageing that influence how you design a bathroom for older people

• Outline key principles and considerations of aged care residential design

• Outline design guidelines that can improve older people’s experience of using bathrooms

This presentation will deliver outcomes related to the following Competencies from the NSCA 2021

PC18 Be able to apply creative imagination, design precedents, research, emergent knowledge and critical evaluation in formulating and refining concept design options, including the exploration of three-dimensional form and spatial quality.

PC26 Be able to undertake site, cultural and contextual analysis as part of preliminary design research.

PC28 Be able to draw on knowledge from building sciences and technology, environmental sciences and behavioral and social sciences as part of preliminary design research and when developing the conceptual design to optimise the performance of the project.

Presenter

Hannah has been with Caroma for over 7.5 years and spent the last 6 years specialising in the health and aged care sector. Throughout this time she has worked closely with aged care providers, developers, architects and project teams to deliver practical, compliant and fit-for-purpose solutions. Hannah has collaborated with aged care developers on a range of projects, helping to identify products and solutions that meet both operational and resident needs. She has also partnered with Caroma's engineering teams on specialised projects, including the development of a tailored product suite designed specifically to meet a developer's unique requirements. Hannah's focus is on building strong relationships and delivering outcomes that balance functionality, innovation, and user experience.