Designing for Oppression: The Aged Care History We’re Still Building On

We don’t like to think of aged care as oppressive. The people working in it care deeply. Most homes are doing their best with tight margins and limited time. But what if some of the buildings themselves are still carrying a legacy we haven’t properly questioned? In this episode, Rose goes back to where it all began - when dementia wasn’t treated as a condition, but as something shameful. Something to be hidden. Controlled. Locked away. And then she asks a harder question: if our systems were built during that era… how much of that thinking is still baked into the way we design today? Key moments: 0:00 - Where this history of oppression in aged care actually comes from 7:46 - What changed for Rose after spending a night in residential care 19:27 - The institutional design choices we’re still carrying into modern homes 21:46 - Where should we be drawing the line between safety and control 27:38 - What reablement spaces should look like in an aged care facility — Find out how your organisation is performing with Stewart Brown by visiting www.stewartbrown.com.au/financial-surveys Connect with Dane and Rose or the Podcast on Linkedin. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dane-mitchell-763ba524 https://www.linkedin.com/in/rose-plater-0a111a129 https://www.linkedin.com/company/time-well-spent-podcast If you want to book a free Reablement Planning Workshop with Optimum Allied Health, visit www.opthealth.com.au/tws If you’re starting to scope out your next project, get in touch with Paynters over at www.paynters.com.au