Health Care Quarterly:

Redesigning brain disease

First Master of Healthcare Interior Design Program in North America offered at UNLV

A seating area at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.

Let’s try a quick experiment. Take a look around the room that you are in right now. What do you notice about it? Maybe you notice the color of the walls, the tile on the floor or the appliances. Now imagine someone is sitting next to you and that person has some form of brain disease. Do you think that they will view the room the same way that you do? Probably not.

The reason for this is that people diagnosed with neurodegenerative diseases may be more sensitive to the layout and the cosmetic features of a room because their condition makes them feel uncomfortable, or limits them in certain environments. For instance, industrial design is considered “the modern look” in homes today, but patients with neurodegenerative diseases may feel that exposed brick and rough metal resemble the feeling of being institutionalized, which can then cause distress.

At Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, we make every possible effort to care for patients, but we realize there are limitations in contributing to patients’ well-being when they leave the center. As a neurologist and psychiatrist, I’ve spent a significant amount of time listening to my own patients’ stories about their everyday struggles outside of the clinic.

One instance that really stands out in my mind is one of my patients and her husband who decided that they should move into a senior living community. At that time, she was able bodied, but as she was getting older and had neurological problems, wanted to be prepared, should the time come for her to need assistance. Eventually, she needed the use of a wheelchair and it wasn’t until that time that she realized none of the doorways in her “senior” home accommodated the width of a wheelchair! That led me to wonder, if older people are struggling with their living environments, what can we do to improve them, and specifically, what can be done for those with neurodegenerative diseases?

Four years ago, Professor Attila Lawrence of UNLV and I began collaborating in his undergraduate course on health care interior design. This course allowed experts at CCLRCBH to provide expertise about the challenges those with brain disease face at home. After continued success with the undergraduate course, Lawrence decided to develop the first Master of Healthcare Interior Design program in North America, which welcomed its first students in August.

As a division of UNLV’s School of Architecture, the Master of Health care Interior Design program is designed to give students a one-of-a-kind, cross-disciplinary and research/innovation-driven educational experience that is responsive to current and projected modes of professional practice in the design of health care environments. In addition to the esteemed UNLV staff, students enrolled in this program will learn from CCLRCBH specialists in the fields of neurology, psychiatry, rehabilitation and neuropsychology during various panel discussions, question and answer sessions and more.

“This will lead to graduates who are creative and innovative problem-solvers and who can productively function across disciplines creating a better educated workforce for the jobs of the future in the $3 trillion United States health care market, the largest health care industry in the world,” said Lawrence, who is heading the new program.

Although the concept of health care interior design is still relatively new, this kind of program will vastly improve the lives of those with brain disease by helping them live more comfortably and navigate efficiently in their every day environments. For example, high kitchen cabinets can be placed in lower areas so they’re more easily reachable for those with Parkinson’s disease who might have a hard time balancing on their tiptoes or stoves can automatically turn off for those with Alzheimer’s disease. Other design elements could include large windows, the use of therapeutic colors and round, soft ottomans in place of hard, sharp coffee tables that would hurt if a person were to fall or hit their leg.

Leading by example, the iconic design of the CCLRCBH building was purposely constructed to create a warmer setting for patients by using non-direct lighting and natural materials as it gives a less institutionalized look. This type of concept is an example of what UNLV students will learn during the program. When patients — especially patients with a form of brain disease — are in distress, their conditions can deteriorate. The results of this program will hopefully help put patients at ease and establish better living conditions.

The Masters of Healthcare Interior Design program at UNLV will allow students to create artistic and soothing interior spaces to promote the well-being of neurodegenerative patients. As the program is the first-of-its-kind and designed to serve the needs of this at-risk population, we are hoping that these initial steps between CCLRCBH and UNLV students will significantly improve the overall well-being of neurodegenerative patients and those who care for them.

Dr. Dylan Wint is the NV Energy Chair for Brain Health Education at Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.

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