DEMENTIA-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES - The Role of Built Environment and Implementation Challenges in the U.S.

Sep 29, 2026

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Dementia-Friendly Communities (DFC) address rising dementia prevalence (PLWD) and the growing societal care burden, yet evidence supporting policy briefs, design guidelines, and implementation strategies remains limited. This study analyzes expert perspectives on neighborhood built-environment features that enable aging in place for PLWD and examines U.S. implementation challenges. A nationwide online survey (Jan–Mar 2023) included 51 experts, finding land use & accessibility and safety as top design domains, with five environmental themes and notable financial and knowledge barriers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Neighborhood built environment priorities for DFC

Land use & accessibility and safety as critical domains

Five environmental feature themes

U.S. implementation barriers

Financial challenges

Knowledge barriers

Expert survey methods and data analysis

Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 43 Communities (DFC) have gained global attention as a response to the increasing number of people living with dementia (PLWD) and the associated societal care burden. However, empirical research to inform policy briefs, design guidelines, and implementation strategies remains limited. This study explores expert perspectives on key neighborhood built environment features that support aging in place for PLWD and identifies challenges in implementing DFC in the U.S. A nationwide online expert survey was conducted from January to March 2023 and a total of 51 experts specializing in environment and aging research or practice provided complete responses and were included in data analysis. Quantitative ratings indicate that “land use & accessibility”and “safety” are the two most critical neighborhood-scale built environment domains for DFC design. Open-ended responses on environmental features highlight five key themes: (1) safety first, (2) clear space for better memory support, (3) balance between easy access and stimulation, (4) comfort by design with environmental context in mind, and (5) tailored design for different stages of dementia. Experts also identified financial challenges and knowledge barriers toward dementia or DFC as two major barriers to implementation in the U.S. By identifying these design priorities and implementation challenges, this study provides valuable insights to help policymakers, researchers, and design professionals better understand critical considerations for DFC design and facilitate the development of more feasible and effective solutions to promote dementia-friendly environments and support healthy aging in place. Abstract citation ID: igaf122.143 DEMENTIA-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES: THE ROLE OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES IN THE U.S. Xi Chen, Chanam Lee, and Wenjin Wang, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States The growing aging population has intensified public health concerns, particularly regarding dementia. Dementia-Friendly

FAQs

Which neighborhood built-environment domains are most critical for DFC design?

Quantitative ratings identify “land use & accessibility” and “safety” as the two most critical neighborhood-scale built environment domains for DFC design.

What five key environmental themes do experts emphasize for dementia support?

Experts highlight five themes: safety first, clear space for better memory support, balance between easy access and stimulation, comfort by design with environmental context, and tailored design across different dementia stages.

What major barriers hinder DFC implementation in the U.S.?

The study identifies financial challenges and knowledge barriers regarding dementia or DFC as two major barriers to implementation in the U.S.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Hazel