Multiculturalism & Alzheimer’s Disease

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An 18” x 24” concept map on the disciplines and studies of Alzheimer’s disease. The identified design intervention is on the bottom left around non-pharmacological treatments.

The increasing number of patients with Alzheimer’s disease in North America is projected to strain the quality of care in public nursing homes. A major discussion concerns the changing demographics of patients, who are rapidly becoming multicultural, and caregivers, whom care services are demanding for diverse needs. For my master’s thesis, I studied the case to propose a new care model with a patient-centered design, an approach that promotes a mutual patient-caregiver relationship through cultural diversity and exchange. The study positions the design intervention on nonmedical treatments, adopts a theory of human motivation to human-centered design, and pilots a series of case studies on driving social and cultural innovation.