Sarah Waller CBE

Knowledge transfer, teaching and research

As part of the enabling environments programme Sarah's work has included a range of environmental reviews for care homes and extra care housing as well as the development of dementia friendly design standards for a range of clients. In 2020 Sarah undertook a review of the EHE environmental assessment tools. She led the development of an additional tool for gardens and outdoor spaces in 2021, and ‘Making your garden dementia friendly’ a booklet for people living at home affected by dementia. With colleagues at ADS Sarah led the development of the assessment tool App which is available in English and Welsh.

Sarah works with clients to create bespoke dementia friendly environmental assessment tools including the development of 'Dementia Friendly Village Halls - A Guide and Checklist' with local charities. She led the development of 'Designing for Everyone', a toolkit for cognitively supportive design in primary care premises which includes an environmental assessment tool for those living with dementia, autism spectrum disorders and neurodiverse conditions. 

Sarah was part of the ADS team which supported the development and evaluation of the Worcester Dementia Dwelling Grants. She contributes to the Dementia Studies Postgraduate Certificate and workshops for a variety of clients.

Publications and dissemination

Waller S, Evans SC, Bray J, Atkinson T. (2024). Designing for everyone: can the principles of dementia-friendly design inform design for neurodiversity in health-care settings? Work Older People. https://doi.org/10.1108/WWOP-09-2023-0038

Waller, S. & Bray, J. (2024). 'Cognitively inclusive' toolkit aiming to get design right. Health Estate Journal, 78 (6), 51-54

Evans, S.C., Waller, S. and Bray, J. (2021). Designing inclusive environments for people living with dementia: how much do we really know? Working with Older People, online https://doi.org/10.1108/WWOP-09-2021-0049

Evans, S., Waller, S., Bray, J. and Atkinson, T. (2019). Making Homes More Dementia-Friendly through the Use of Aids and Adaptations. Healthcare 2019, 7, 43. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare7010043

Waller, S., Masterson, A. and Evans, S. (2016). The development of environmental assessment tools to support the creation of dementia friendly care environments: Innovative practice. Dementia. 16. 10.1177/1471301216635829.

Waller, S. and Masterson, A. (2015). Designing dementia-friendly hospital environments. Royal College of Physicians Future Hospital Journal, 2(1), 63–68.

Waller, S. and Masterson, A. (2014). Contact with the Natural World within Hospital Care In M, Marshall and G Gilliard G Creating Culturally Appropriate Outside Spaces and Experiences for People with Dementia London: Jessica Kingsley

The Kings Fund (2014). Is your ward dementia friendly? The EHE Assessment Tool http://www.worcester.ac.uk/dementia http://www.kingsfund.org.uk

Masterson, A., Waller, S. and Grisley, M. (2013), Improving environments: new tools for the job, The Journal of Dementia Care, 21(4).

Waller, S., Masterson, A. and Finn, H. (2013). Improving the patient experience: Developing supportive design for people with dementia: The King’s Fund’s Enhancing the Healing Environment Programme 2009-2012. London: The King’s Fund.

Reports

Input to: Alzheimer's Disease International (2020). World Alzheimer Report 2020: Design, Dignity, Dementia: dementia-related design and the built environment volume 1 (Evans, S., Waller, S., Atkinson, T.)

Evans, S.C., Bray, J., Waller, S. and Atkinson, T. (2018). An independent evaluation of the Dementia Dwelling Grants pilot programme: Final report. Association for Dementia Studies, University of Worcester

Presentations

Waller, S. (2024) Finding Your Way: Cognitively Supportive Design. Healthcare Property Forum, London

Waller, S. & Bray, J. (2023) Developing an App version of the Enhancing the Healing Environment assessment tools. UK Dementia Congress, Birmingham

Waller, S. & Bray, J. (2023) Designing inclusive environments for people living with dementia: how much do we really know? Journal of Dementia Care webinar series, online

Waller, S. (2022) Dementia friendly design and assessment tools. Institute of Health and Social Care Management – Dementia special interest group, online

Waller, S. (2022) The future direction of assessment tools. Mental Health and Dementia Facilities Forum, online

Waller, S., Bray, J. & Atkinson, T. (2022) Poster - Designing for Everyone: Developing cognitively inclusive design. UK Dementia Congress, Birmingham

Web blogs

Waller, S., (2024). Designing for Everyone - a toolkit for primary care. The Network: Journal of the Design and Mental Health Network, May, 4.

External responsibilities

• Trustee CW+ The charity of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Chair Arts and Design Committee and member of Grants Committee CW+
• Fellow Royal Society of Arts (FRSA)