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Reducing the Impact of Noise on People with

Dementia Presented by Andrea Harman, Concept Developer Healthcare, Ecophon

Example of

the type of

photo

What is noise?

Sound is a form of energy

Noise is unwanted sound

Impact of noise- Noise is recognised as a

source of stress, causing a physiological

reaction in our body

We also have a psychological

reaction

Impact on intellectual performance

Simple task

(find misspellings)

Complex task

(Find logical mistakes)

Ref: Weinstein, University of California, Berkeley, Journal of applied psychology, 1974, vol 59, no 5, p548-554

Sleep Disruptions

EEG Arousals

Ref: Berg, ”Impact of reduced reverberation time on sound-induced arousals during sleep”, Sleep, 2001, vol 24, no 3, p289-292

Poor acoustic environment

Good acoustic environment

Medication

• Given medication at different sound levels

% of patients

Ref: Minckley, ”A study of noise and its relationship to patient discomfort in the recovery room”, Nursing Research, 1968, vol 17, no 3, p247-250

Quiet is one of the physical aspects of comfort

• Air quality

• Lighting

• Temperature

• Acoustics

• Layout

As we age, we lose our high frequency

hearing and become more sensitive to

other frequencies of sound

www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/your-hearing/look-after-your-hearing/check-your-hearing/take-the-check.aspx

Low frequency sounds are often linked to

annoyance, aggression and fear

• Lorries

• Thunder

• Drums

• Factory/Machine noise

Consonants contain the information

Vowels decide the volume of speech

I_ i_ _o__i__e _o u__e___a__ __a_ _eo__e _ay __y _i__

______a___

We have difficulty working out what has been

said when in noisy spaces

_t _s poss_bl_ t_ _nd_rst_nd wh_t p__pl_ s__ _nly w_th

c_ns_n_nts

(It is possible to understand what people say only with

the consonants)

Of all the senses, hearing is the one that has the most

significant impact on people with dementia in terms of

quality of lifeThe Social Care Institute for Excellence

A noisy or reverberant environment can be

extremely uncomfortable to a person with

dementia and will prevent good

communication DSDC

Difficulties in hearing, remembering and

communicating, contributes to the person

with dementia engaging with their

environment and the people in it. HBN 08:02

Leading to frustration and socially isolation.

High noise levels in the living rooms

were associated with low behavioural

signs of social interactions. Garre-Olmo et al (2012)

Good room acoustics can make a real

difference

Furnishing

Shape Size

Surface

finishes

What affects the Room Acoustics

How can you achieve useful outcomes for

the acoustic design of spaces used by

people with dementia

Teat communal and activity spaces

Dementia Friendly

acoustics should consider

where clear speech is

important and where

noise needs to be

reduced or absorbedHBN 08:02

Provide quiet areas where people living with

dementia can seek respite HBN 08:02

Corridor noise is often a source of

problems

Positive Sounds

Nature

• Bird song

• Water flowing

• Light rain

Signposting

• Cutlery

• Tea trolleys

• Getting up

• Activity

Music

• Reminiscence

• Calming

• Activity

Adding sound absorption Absorber Classification -

EN ISO 11654

The absorption classes are designated A-E where absorption Class

A has the highest sound absorption. A specified overall depth of

system (o.d.s) must always be stated for a given absorption class.

Case study - A dementia ward- long term

patients

People living here:

• Were confused

about where the

noise was coming

from’

• Had difficulty

hearing and so

understanding

instructions’,

• Were not hearing

conversations’

• Disturbed by noise

reaching the

bedrooms

Reverberation 3 seconds

Added acoustic absorption

• Has made a huge

difference

• More settled

behaviour

• More interaction

• Calmer

• A much nicer

environment

• Noise not

reaching

bedrooms

How noisy is your space?

Thank you for listening• Andrea.harman@ecophon.co.uk

• Digital healthcare magazine: Eco for

Sustainable Design, available in

Appstore and Google Play

• www.ecophon.co.uk

• #safeandsound

• Presentations on designing dementia

care spaces – see our stand or

phone Andrea on 07771565382

• Acoustics of environments used

by people affected by dementiaProfessor Marcus Ormerod and Rachel Russell,

SURFACE Inclusive Design Research Centre, School of

Built Environment and Dr Bill Davies, Acoustics, School

of Computing, Science and Engineering, University of

Salford