Recent Events
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VIRTUAL Speaking Event: Role of the Caregiver
January 24th, 2024 at 1:00PM ET
Senior Services of Alexandria
In this speaking event hosted by Senior Services of Alexandria, I offered practical strategies for home care providers. Drawing from my personal experiences, I shared stories and emphasized the importance of self-care.
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January 9th, 2024, at 2:00 PM ET
Aging Matters is a weekly radio program delving into a wide range of
aging-related subjects, featuring experts in the field.
Hosted by Cheryl Beversdorf, the producer and interviewer, this episode features Barbara Huelat discussing Dementia Interventions from her latest book, "Taming the Chaos of Dementia."
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Photo courtesy of the Center for Health Design
VIRTUAL: Center for Health Design Panel Discussion
January 11, 2024
Online
A virtual exchange of experiences, insights and expectations among exemplars of the healthcare and design industries.
Video courtesy of the Center for Health Design
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Photo courtesy of the Center for Health Design
HCD Healthcare Design
Expo & Conference
November 6, 2023
New Orleans, LA
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The 2023 Changemaker Award was presented to Barbara Huelat during
The Center for Health Design Awards and Changemaker Keynote
on Monday, November 6 at the 2023 Healthcare Design Conference + Expo in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Empowering Spaces: Design for an Aging Population:
November 29, 2023
The surge in the aging population is significantly impacting various sectors like healthcare, housing, transportation, and technology. Design holds immense potential in fostering an inclusive world for seniors. Crafting products, services, and settings attuned to their needs promotes independent living and dignified aging. Guiding principles for designing amid this aging trend include universal design—creating spaces for all ages and abilities, age-friendly design—tailoring spaces to elderly requirements, inclusive design—welcoming diversity, and health-conscious design—supporting senior well-being. Beyond accessibility, designing for seniors aims to empower and engage by reflecting their physiology and experiences, fostering a sense of value and community connection. Converting the challenges of the graying population into opportunities, elder-centric design can construct a universally accessible
and comprehensive world.
Environmental Design Can Help People with Dementia Thrive:
November 28, 2023
By 2050, dementia is expected to affect 152 million people worldwide. There is no cure and few treatments that can help slow the disease's progression or manage the symptoms. However, design can play a significant role in creating safe, comfortable, and stimulating environments for people with dementia.
This lecture will discuss the role of environmental design interventions in mitigating disruptive behaviors, improving quality of life, reducing stress, and providing support for caregivers. Explore how these strategies can help bridge the emotional experience with sensory, perceptive, and reminiscent memory to help mitigate disruptive behaviors and their triggers. Design can transform caring for those with dementia from merely keeping them safe to providing a rich experience. Environmental design interventions can help decode dementia's visceral world and support non-cognitive human experiences improving the health, safety and wellbeing of the person living with dementia and those that support them.
Empowering Spaces: Design for an Aging Population:
October 4, 2023
Design Arts Seminars
Remote
Environmental Design Can HelpPeople with Dementia Thrive:
October 5, 2023
Design Arts Seminars
Remote
Caregiver’s Response to
Difficult Dementia Behaviors:
July 27, 2023, 7:30-830 PM
Medstar House Call Program Caregiver Group
Remote
Integrative Care for People with Dementia and their Caregivers:
Saturday, July 29, 2023
Integrative Care for Older Adults
Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology
Taichung, Taiwan
Video courtesy of the Center for Health Design
Improving the Lives of People with Dementia and Their Caregivers
3rd International Webinar on Dementia and Alzheimer's June 29, 2023
Testimonials
Cate Kinney
Dear Barbara,
Thank you so much for coming & sharing some of your wealth of knowledge on Dementia: Symptoms, Trigger & Interventions.
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You took an exceedingly complex topic & gave those of us with no medical training or education a non-emotional intro to what Dementia is & is not. From there, you set us on a journey of understanding ways we can prepare for & even sometimes prevent its upsetting behaviors.
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I've always found even the idea of Dementia to be a bit scary, but your plain English descriptions & personal stories allowed me to listen & learn & sometimes even laugh with you.
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Thank you again.
Chris Baughman
Hi Barbara! Thank you again for the wonderful presentation on dementia. It was informative and interesting. You handled the technical difficulties very well! At the meeting afterwards, the ladies agreed it was a timely matter.Best wishes on the sale of your upcoming book! May God bless your efforts.
Michael Ofori-Adu
DHCF
I wanted to thank you once again for your time and exceptional presentation today at the DHCF Learning Collaborative meeting. And for accommodating agenda changes, too. Here is a standout feedback echoing similar sentiments from the audience - “Superior, insightful, transparent and compassionate presentation! Thank you, Barbara!”
Mary Devasia
DHCF
Your presentation style and information are truly appreciated by us and the audience. Thank you for your time and service!
Rob Volzer
Attending the HCD Healthcare Design Show and Expo this year went beyond my participation in 12-
15 hours of workshops and CEUs, scouring over 100 Furniture, Finishes and Equipment pop up
showrooms, and networking with colleagues the brightest Federal Sales Reps - I had the honor of
watching Barbara Huelat receive the conference's highest award - the Changemaker Award (akin to
a SAG Lifetime Achievement Award). Barbara was my first Mentor/Manager and helped inspire my own 35+ year career in Healthcare Design! Congrats again Barbara!Â
Robin Constable
So happy you are being honored for the contributions you have made to humans having
a more healing experience in the hospital - and for your current work, shining a light on
the needs of our aging population. Thank you!
Andrea Hyde
Cried and laughed - such an amazing life - and as she says she’s got lots more she wants to do!! Congrats Barbara! I hope you do just that!!
Shawlon Hsieh
Barbara - it was great hearing you and daughter on stage. and the stories. And it's great
to have purpose in the things we do. I've lost that for a while. Congrats on the award.