Sistema di indicatori per valutare l'ambiente costruito nelle strutture per i malati di Alzheimer

The dementia diseases, and in particular Alzheimer’s pathology, cause an irreversible degeneration of the brain tissue with a progressive yet different reduction in cognitive and psychic functions. The relationships between people and environment, spaces and building facilities suffer a deep change. The gerontological culture actually suggests the use of a built environment as a therapeutic aid in order to increase the quality of life. In the case of Alzheimer’s disease, not only private dwellings but also collective buildings, as daytime or residential care units, can perform a prosthetic function, thus playing a very significant role in compensating cognitive losses of patients. Investigating some case studies, this paper explores the quality of the built environment searching for a system of indicators useful as a guideline for technicians and operators in designing the built environment for Alzheimer disease, in both cases of new constructions and refurbishment, as well as evaluating existing buildings.