This slide presentation discusses the impact of noise on people with dementia and strategies for reducing noise. It notes that noise is a source of stress and can negatively impact intellectual performance, sleep, and medication effects. As people age, they lose hearing for high frequencies and become more sensitive to other sounds. Noise isolation and adding sound absorption can help create a calmer, more comfortable environment for those with dementia. The presentation provides examples of how acoustic improvements to a dementia ward made a significant positive difference for patients.

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Reducing the Impact of Noise on People with
DementiaPresented by Andrea Harman, Concept Developer Healthcare, Ecophon
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2. What is noise?
Sound is a form of energy
Noise is unwanted sound

3. Impact of noise- Noise is recognised as a
source of stress, causing a physiological
reaction in our body

4. We also have a psychological
reaction

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. Quiet is one of the physical aspects of comfort
• Air quality
• Lighting
• Temperature
• Acoustics
• Layout

9. 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

10. Low frequency sounds are often linked to
annoyance, aggression and fear
• Lorries
• Thunder
• Drums
• Factory/Machine noise

11. 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)

12. Of all the senses, hearing is the one that has the most
significant impact on people with dementia in terms of
quality of life
The Social Care Institute for Excellence

13. A noisy or reverberant environment can be
extremely uncomfortable to a person with
dementia and will prevent good
communication DSDC

14. Difficulties in hearing, remembering and
communicating, contributes to the person
with dementia engaging with their
environment and the people in it. HBN 08:02

15. Leading to frustration and socially isolation.

16. High noise levels in the living rooms
were associated with low behavioural
signs of social interactions. Garre-Olmo et al (2012)

17. Good room acoustics can make a real
difference

18. Furnishing
Shape Size
Surface
finishes
What affects the Room Acoustics

19. How can you achieve useful outcomes for
the acoustic design of spaces used by
people with dementia

20. Teat communal and activity spaces
Dementia Friendly
acoustics should consider
where clear speech is
important and where
noise needs to be
reduced or absorbed
HBN 08:02

21. Provide quiet areas where people living with
dementia can seek respite HBN 08:02

22. Corridor noise is often a source of
problems

23. Positive Sounds
Nature
• Bird song
• Water flowing
• Light rain
Signposting
• Cutlery
• Tea trolleys
• Getting up
• Activity
Music
• Reminiscence
• Calming
• Activity

24. 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.

25. 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

26. Added acoustic absorption
• Has made a huge
difference
• More settled
behaviour
• More interaction
• Calmer
• A much nicer
environment
• Noise not
reaching
bedrooms

27. How noisy is your space?

28. 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 dementia
Professor 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