{"podcast":{"title":"Design Impacts","slug":"design-impacts-7868540","podcast_index_feed_id":7868540,"rss_url":"https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/8182468.rss","website_url":"https://designimpacts.substack.com/podcast","image_url":"https://substackcdn.com/feed/podcast/8182468/749bc2319f57740bef0d360c509887b4.jpg","author":"A podcast hosted by the South Central Chapter of ASID.","episode_count":9,"summary":"A podcast by the South Central Chapter of ASID that educates, highlights and celebrates our community!","last_synced_at":"2026-09-07T04:17:30.191488+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/design-impacts-7868540"},"episode":{"title":"Episode 09 | A conversation with Barbara Heulat","slug":"episode-09-a-conversation-with-barbara-heulat","published_at":"2026-09-06T21:27:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/design-impacts-7868540/episode-09-a-conversation-with-barbara-heulat","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/design-impacts-7868540","url":"https://designimpacts.substack.com/p/episode-09-a-conversation-with-barbara","audio_url":"https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/206203296/c0df42131ef18982daf868cfe15ca0dc.mp3","summary":"In this episode, host Ana Clark sits down with designer and author Barbara Heulat to explore the powerful intersection of interior design and dementia care. In this episode we discuss: * Barbara’s origin story: a childhood memory of visiting an “old folks home” that sparked a 40+ year career designing healthcare facilities * How becoming a caregiver for her mother (Parkinson’s-related dementia) and late husband (Alzheimer’s) transformed her understanding of design * The concept of the “silent caregiver” — how environments can calm or agitate someone living with dementia even without direct intervention * Practical design interventions: color and contrast for wayfinding, meaningful artwork, music tied to a person’s most memorable years, and toilet placement to reduce incontinence * Why caregiver health is just as critical as patient care, including Barbara’s own wake-up call after a heart attack * Building a support “team,” practicing gratitude journaling, and forgiving yourself for mistakes * Advocating for better design in healthcare settings using science-backed research * How to advocate for a loved one once they enter a care facility, including creating a personal history workbook for staff * Closing reflections on why designers are uniquely positioned to bring meaning and emotional wellbeing to dementia care Resources mentioned: * Barbara’s books: Taming the Chaos of Dementia and the companion caregiving workbook Caring Through Chaos * tamingthechaosofdementia.org — books, training resources, and caregiving guides * barbaraheulat.com — podcasts and blog content Design Impacts is a podcast by the South Central Chapter of ASID — elevating, celebrating, and educating our design community. If you have questions, comments, or want to get involved with the chapter — loc…","meta_description":"In this episode, host Ana Clark sits down with designer and author Barbara Heulat to explore the powerful intersection of interior design and dementia car…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3000,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/design-impacts-7868540/episodes/episode-09-a-conversation-with-barbara-heulat/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/design-impacts-7868540/episode-09-a-conversation-with-barbara-heulat.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}