Person-Centered Health Care Design

Book excerpt: Disease, injury, or congenital disorders result in an inability to perform activities of daily living as effectively as others. Most of these activities take place within and are dependent upon the designed environment. This book presents the specialized area of person-centered health care design, which focuses on a person's design needs because of one or more health conditions and requires foundational knowledge pertaining to infection control, bio-physiology, neuroscience, and basic biomechanics. Whether the designer has engaged in person- or condition-centered design, this book examines the causes that bring about health conditions, such as autoimmune disorders, chronic lung disease, muscular dystrophy, and neurological disorders, and the effects these have on a person's quality of life. Over forty various health conditions are discussed in relation to assorted building typologies—schools, group homes, rehabilitation and habilitation centers, and more—to identify design solutions for modifying each environment to best accommodate and support a person’s needs. Dak Kopec encourages readers to think critically and deductively about numerous health conditions and how to best design for them. This book provides students and practitioners a foundational framework that supports the promotion of health, safety, and welfare as they pertain to a person's physiological, psychological, and sociological well-being.