Unlimited Surrounding

The impact of the environment on people with disabilities in long-term care is particularly severe, as they have limited capacity to actively seek out other environments. Therefore, the design of the environment has an impact on their well-being, their experience of stress, their health, how they deal with their disability, the degree of their independence or the extent of behavioural problems.

The Netherlands Institute for Health Research and Development, a Dutch governmental body, in collaboration with the University of Leiden, Department of Orthopaedagogy, has asked Kopvol to review the available knowledge on this topic in order to formulate recommendations for policy, practice and research. The recommendations will form the basis of future planning and design projects of care facilities for people who require 24-hour care or support due to mental, physical and/or sensory disability and/or mental illness.