Comfort Covers
Comfort is something many of us yearn for to complete ourselves. In search of what comfort could be it became evident the importance memories have on defining our identity for connecting with others and finding our place of comfort in the world. I began thinking of those who lose their memories and, their comfort. Five (5) million Americans are suffering from Dementia, a disease that grossly impairs our memories of who we are, and this number is expected to triple by 2050. This led me to create Comfort Covers, a solution to guide comforting conversations of memory-based exchanges for families and care providers of nursing home dementia patients.
Comfort Covers are reversible, custom design duvets created through responses of a questionnaire form that seeks to express and reinforce the identity and personality traits of a person living with dementia. The questionnaire, as completed by a family member of their loved one, uses personal information like their last name, the number of grandchildren they have, favorite season and more to gather memories. The top-side of the duvet incorporates these responses into a typographic design to enable a conversation for caregivers and family who enter the room. This information is mirrored in two directions for both patient and caregiver to experience the design legibly. The patient can read these words from the resting position in their bed for keeping their minds active in language as a cognitive exercise as they lay in their room. When words are too much, Comfort Covers can be flipped to a geometric design only side comprised of a subtle, custom pattern informed by the questionnaire. It is my hope for those facing dementia that this work can serve to provide solace and a better quality life experience during this time.
