US-20260127696-A1 - ASSESSING AND ENHANCING SAFETY AND FUNCTIONALITY OF ENVIRONMENTS FOR AGING POPULATIONS

US20260127696A1US 20260127696 A1US20260127696 A1US 20260127696A1US-20260127696-A1

Abstract

A computer-implemented method, system, and computer program product for assessing and enhancing safety and functionality of environments for aging populations. A description of the physical characteristics of an environment (e.g., aging and senior care environments) is received. Such a description includes a comprehensive set of quantifiable and observable data points that define the physical, sensory, and spatial attributes of the space of the environment. Upon receiving the description of physical characteristics of an environment, the description is analyzed against a set of environment design rules (structured guidelines and criteria used to systematically arrange, specify, or modify physical and spatial characteristics of the environment to optimize its safety, functionality, accessibility, and psychological impact for a specified group) tailored for aging populations and individuals with cognitive impairment. Upon performing such an analysis, one or more recommendations for modifying the environment are then generated based on the analysis.

Inventors

Mohamad Nadim Adi
Mais Aljunaidy

Assignees

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251029

Claims (20)

1 . A computer-implemented method for assessing and enhancing safety and functionality of environments for aging populations, the method comprising: receiving a description of physical characteristics of an environment; analyzing said description of physical characteristics of said environment against a set of environment design rules tailored for aging populations and individuals with cognitive impairment, wherein said set of environment design rules is structured guidelines and criteria used to systematically arrange, specify, or modify physical and spatial characteristics of said environment to optimize its safety, functionality, accessibility, and psychological impact for a specified group; and generating one or more recommendations for modifying said environment based on said analysis, wherein said one or more recommendations enhance safety and functionality of said environment by adjusting one or more of the following: wayfinding elements, visual cues, color contrast and visibility, and lighting conditions.
2 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said analysis of said description of physical characteristics of said environment against said set of environment design rules tailored for aging populations and individuals with cognitive impairment comprises: determining a light reflective value contrast between at least two adjacent surfaces within said environment; and comparing said determined light reflective value contrast against a threshold value specified in said set of environment design rules for features to identify deficiencies in visibility, wherein said features comprise one or more of the following: doorways, handrails, and bathroom fixtures.
3 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said one or more recommendations comprise a recommendation for placement of personalized memory cues at a specific location within said environment.
4 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said analysis of said description of physical characteristics of said environment against said set of environment design rules tailored for aging populations and individuals with cognitive impairment comprises: analyzing flooring characteristics in said description of physical characteristics of said environment including pattern complexity, reflectivity, and non-slip rating, against said set of environment design rules; and determining consistency of flooring transitions across different areas of said environment to minimize perceived hazards for individuals with depth perception issues based on said analysis of said flooring characteristics against said set of environment design rules.
5 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said set of environment design rules is directed to safety categories of wayfinding, color contrast and lighting, wherein said analysis of said description of physical characteristics of said environment against said set of environment design rules tailored for aging populations and individuals with cognitive impairment comprises: assigning a weighted score to said environment for each safety category based on a predefined weighting scheme derived from clinical or design research; calculating a single, composite score by aggregating said weighted scores; and generating said one or more recommendations for modifying said environment based on said single, composite score.
6 . The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein said one or more recommendations comprise a corrective action for addressing a deficiency in one of said safety categories in response to a value of said single, composite score falling below a threshold value within a user-designated variance.
7 . The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein said lighting safety category of said set of environment design rules comprises ambient light levels throughout a space of said environment to ensure adequate illumination for safe navigation and potential sources of glare or shadow of said environment that cause confusion by individuals with cognitive impairment, wherein said one or more recommendations comprise a corrective action for adjusting a type or location of a lighting fixture to achieve a consistent, shadow-minimizing illumination.
8 . A computer program product for assessing and enhancing safety and functionality of environments for aging populations, the computer program product comprising one or more computer readable storage mediums having program code embodied therewith, the program code comprising programming instructions for: receiving a description of physical characteristics of an environment; analyzing said description of physical characteristics of said environment against a set of environment design rules tailored for aging populations and individuals with cognitive impairment, wherein said set of environment design rules is structured guidelines and criteria used to systematically arrange, specify, or modify physical and spatial characteristics of said environment to optimize its safety, functionality, accessibility, and psychological impact for a specified group; and generating one or more recommendations for modifying said environment based on said analysis, wherein said one or more recommendations enhance safety and functionality of said environment by adjusting one or more of the following: wayfinding elements, visual cues, color contrast and visibility, and lighting conditions.
9 . The computer program product as recited in claim 8 , wherein said analysis of said description of physical characteristics of said environment against said set of environment design rules tailored for aging populations and individuals with cognitive impairment comprises: determining a light reflective value contrast between at least two adjacent surfaces within said environment; and comparing said determined light reflective value contrast against a threshold value specified in said set of environment design rules for features to identify deficiencies in visibility, wherein said features comprise one or more of the following: doorways, handrails, and bathroom fixtures.
10 . The computer program product as recited in claim 8 , wherein said one or more recommendations comprise a recommendation for placement of personalized memory cues at a specific location within said environment.
11 . The computer program product as recited in claim 8 , wherein said analysis of said description of physical characteristics of said environment against said set of environment design rules tailored for aging populations and individuals with cognitive impairment comprises: analyzing flooring characteristics in said description of physical characteristics of said environment including pattern complexity, reflectivity, and non-slip rating, against said set of 5 environment design rules; and determining consistency of flooring transitions across different areas of said environment to minimize perceived hazards for individuals with depth perception issues based on said analysis of said flooring characteristics against said set of environment design rules.
12 . The computer program product as recited in claim 8 , wherein said set of environment design rules is directed to safety categories of wayfinding, color contrast and lighting, wherein said analysis of said description of physical characteristics of said environment against said set of environment design rules tailored for aging populations and individuals with cognitive impairment comprises: assigning a weighted score to said environment for each safety category based on a predefined weighting scheme derived from clinical or design research; calculating a single, composite score by aggregating said weighted scores; and generating said one or more recommendations for modifying said environment based on said single, composite score.
13 . The computer program product as recited in claim 12 , wherein said one or more recommendations comprise a corrective action for addressing a deficiency in one of said safety categories in response to a value of said single, composite score falling below a threshold value within a user-designated variance.
14 . The computer program product as recited in claim 12 , wherein said lighting safety category of said set of environment design rules comprises ambient light levels throughout a space of said environment to ensure adequate illumination for safe navigation and potential sources of glare or shadow of said environment that cause confusion by individuals with cognitive impairment, wherein said one or more recommendations comprise a corrective action for adjusting a type or location of a lighting fixture to achieve a consistent, shadow-minimizing illumination.
15 . A system, comprising: a memory for storing a computer program for assessing and enhancing safety and functionality of environments for aging populations; and a processor connected to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute program instructions of the computer program comprising: receiving a description of physical characteristics of an environment; analyzing said description of physical characteristics of said environment against a set of environment design rules tailored for aging populations and individuals with cognitive impairment, wherein said set of environment design rules is structured guidelines and criteria used to systematically arrange, specify, or modify physical and spatial characteristics of said environment to optimize its safety, functionality, accessibility, and psychological impact for a specified group; and generating one or more recommendations for modifying said environment based on said analysis, wherein said one or more recommendations enhance safety and functionality of said environment by adjusting one or more of the following: wayfinding elements, visual cues, color contrast and visibility, and lighting conditions.
16 . The system as recited in claim 15 , wherein said analysis of said description of physical characteristics of said environment against said set of environment design rules tailored for aging populations and individuals with cognitive impairment comprises: determining a light reflective value contrast between at least two adjacent surfaces within said environment; and comparing said determined light reflective value contrast against a threshold value specified in said set of environment design rules for features to identify deficiencies in visibility, wherein said features comprise one or more of the following: doorways, handrails, and bathroom fixtures.
17 . The system as recited in claim 15 , wherein said one or more recommendations comprise a recommendation for placement of personalized memory cues at a specific location within said environment.
18 . The system as recited in claim 15 , wherein said analysis of said description of physical characteristics of said environment against said set of environment design rules tailored for aging populations and individuals with cognitive impairment comprises: analyzing flooring characteristics in said description of physical characteristics of said environment including pattern complexity, reflectivity, and non-slip rating, against said set of environment design rules; and determining consistency of flooring transitions across different areas of said environment to minimize perceived hazards for individuals with depth perception issues based on said analysis of said flooring characteristics against said set of environment design rules.
19 . The system as recited in claim 15 , wherein said set of environment design rules is directed to safety categories of wayfinding, color contrast and lighting, wherein said analysis of said description of physical characteristics of said environment against said set of environment design rules tailored for aging populations and individuals with cognitive impairment comprises: assigning a weighted score to said environment for each safety category based on a predefined weighting scheme derived from clinical or design research; calculating a single, composite score by aggregating said weighted scores; and generating said one or more recommendations for modifying said environment based on said single, composite score.
20 . The system as recited in claim 19 , wherein said one or more recommendations comprise a corrective action for addressing a deficiency in one of said safety categories in response to a value of said single, composite score falling below a threshold value within a user-designated variance.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to tools for assessing environments for aging populations, and more particularly to assessing and enhancing safety and functionality of environments for aging populations. BACKGROUND The global population is rapidly aging, leading to an increased demand for living environments (e.g., aging and senior care environments) that support independence, safety, and cognitive well-being. A critical challenge within this demographic shift is the design and management of spaces for older adults, particularly the estimated 50 million people worldwide living with dementia or Alzheimer's disease. One of the problems in current aging and senior care environments is high risk of injury and falls. Falls are the leading cause of injury and death among older adults. Many environments, including homes, assisted living facilities, and hospitals, possess subtle design flaws that become major safety hazards for people with age-related changes in vision, depth perception, balance, and gait. Standard features, such as shiny, patterned floors, poor lighting, or confusing transitions are often overlooked but are significant contributors to fall-related incidents, leading to increased healthcare costs, reduced quality of life, and accelerated decline. Another problem in current aging and senior care environments is cognitive distress and disorientation. Individuals with cognitive impairments, such as dementia, rely heavily on their environment for orientation, memory cues, and maintaining calm. Current design practices often fail to meet these unique cognitive needs resulting in environments that are stressful, confusing, and disorienting. Currently, tools used to assess such environments in an attempt to address such complex issues are deficient. For example, existing tools fail to adequately assess such environments to address such complex issues by implementing static guidelines. Current dementia-friendly or aging-in-place design guidelines are typically static, lengthy, and abstract documents. They offer general principles but do not provide the room-by-room, actionable, and personalized feedback needed to evaluate a specific, existing environment. In another example, existing tools focus on single issues. For example, most existing assessment tools or technologies focus on isolated components, such as non-slip flooring, emergency response systems (e.g., fall-detection technology), or general building code compliance. They fail to integrate the holistic set of environment factors critical for cognitive and physical safety (e.g., lighting, color contrast, wayfinding, and memory aids) into one unified analysis. In a further example, existing tools lack evidence-based practicality. There is a disconnect between academic research on dementia-friendly design and its practical application in the field. Professionals (e.g., architects, interior designers, facility managers, caregivers, etc.) require a tool that synthesizes this latest evidence into quantifiable, user-friendly assessments that offer specific, research-backed recommendations (e.g., precise light reflective value (LRV) percentages or optimal signage placement). Accordingly, there is a need for a comprehensive, evidence-based, and easy-to-use assessment tool that can proactively identify and correct environment hazards thereby reducing injury risks and promoting the independent living and psychological well-being of aging populations, especially those with cognitive decline. SUMMARY In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer-implemented method for assessing and enhancing safety and functionality of environments for aging populations comprises receiving a description of physical characteristics of an environment. The method further comprises analyzing the description of physical characteristics of the environment against a set of environment design rules tailored for aging populations and individuals with cognitive impairment, where the set of environment design rules is structured guidelines and criteria used to systematically arrange, specify, or modify physical and spatial characteristics of the environment to optimize its safety, functionality, accessibility, and psychological impact for a specified group. The method additionally comprises generating one or more recommendations for modifying the environment based on the analysis, where the one or more recommendations enhance safety and functionality of the environment by adjusting one or more of the following: wayfinding elements, visual cues, color contrast and visibility, and lighting conditions. Other forms of the embodiment of the computer-implemented method described above are in a system and in a computer program product. The foregoing has outlined rather generally the features and technical advantages of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description of the present disclosure that follows may be better un