The impact of disorientating spaces on people with dementia can be profound, and can create serious deterioration in their wellbeing. Case studies of new build and refurbished care homes reveal how dementia-friendly interior and exterior design enable improved working practices for care staff, and lead to greater independence and a better quality of life for residents.

Making the move to residential care is one of the biggest decisions most people have to make in their lives. Focusing on staff and residents at Drummond Grange, the five video tracks in this album explore the organisational and personal aspects of the transition from independent living to residential care. It addresses the importance of selecting the right place for your needs and interests, finding ways to maintain contact with your family and adjusting to life in a new community. The material forms part of the course K216 Applied Social Work Practice.

What was it like living and working in the largest mental deficiency hospital in Britain? And what changes led to its relatively recent closure? In it's heyday in the 1970s, Lennox Castle Hospital in Scotland housed over 1600 patients in purpose built multi-occupancy villas, and most staff lived on site or in nearby Lennoxtown. Oral historian Howard Mitchell started his working life there, as a member of the hospital's nursing staff. In the tracks on this album, he looks back at the history of the hospital, and talks to former patients and staff about their experiences during and after their time at Lennox Castle. He also reflects on the responsibilities of oral historians when gathering such personal testimonies. To complete the album, Professor Joanna Bornat of The Open University's Faculty of Health and Social Care explains why the case study was selected for study and unpicks some of the issues that emerge.

The material forms part of The Open University course K101 An introduction to health and social care.

Everyone has their own perspective on mental health, especially those who have experienced it. 'An untimely death on Passchendaele Ward' is written and performed by members 'The Orphans of Beulah' - a theatre group consisting of mental health service users and survivors. It is a modern day farce focusing on life in a Mental Health Institution. A death on the the ward leads to a lot of questions being asked. There are nurses self-medicating, patients acting as nurses, commissioners turning a blind eye. Who turns out on top, and what actually did happen that fateful night on Passchendaele Ward? In two of the audio tracks, service users, professionals and practitioners comment on the drama an some of the issues it raises. In the remaining audio tracks, Jonathan Leach of The Open University's School of Health and Social Welfare explains why the drama was commissioned, and how it fits in with the aims of the course. He also gives an overview of the course and who it's aimed at, and talks about how he came to be involved in mental health education. This material forms part of K225, Diverse perspectives on mental health.

How was mythology used by ancient Romans in their everyday lives? At Nemi to the south of Rome, the sanctuary of the goddess Diana provides us with a snapshot of Roman life and society. This album explores some of the fragments of objects found at the site of Diana's temple, such as a street entertainer's clay lamp, an ex-slave's votive statue and a miniature model of the Temple itself. Containing significant clues about social mobility, these cult objects reveal how lower social classes used mythical stories to empower themselves.

This material forms part of The Open University course A330 Myth in the Greek and Roman worlds.

How much can we learn from an entombed skeleton? This album introduces Seianti Hanunia Tlesnasa, an Etruscan noblewoman whose remains, along with her magnificent painted sarcophagus and life-size model, provide us with an unequalled insight a Roman life around 150 BC. The Etruscans were the original inhabitants of Italy before the Romans, and Seianti’s sarcophagus and skeleton reveal a huge amount about their customs and society, as well as her own health, lifestyle and status. Medical artists and forensic scientists help complete the picture, by reconstructing her face, using anatomical science. This material forms part of The Open University course A219 Exploring the classical world.

The music of North India is mesmerising, and shrouded in tradition and culture. There, raga is the art of life - it is the music of the mind. The tracks in this album focus on three instruments - the tabla, the alap and the voice - all central to the existence of Raga. Each instrument is broken down into the individual sounds that make up the intricate compositions. Performances on all three complete this introduction to the fascinating sound of Raga. This material is drawn from The Open University course AA317, Words and music.

Song, in its many forms, surrounds us - and may have been a feature of life since the very beginnings of human history. It is practiced in every society in the world, its importance undiminished in modern times. The tracks on this album focus on English Folk singing, the traditions behind the songs, and the stories behind the traditions. Performances from folk singer Norma Waterson complete the fascinating journey through English folk heritage. This material is drawn from The Open University course AA317 Words and music.

Philosophy and philosophical enquiries are relevant in some shape or form to many aspects of everyday life, for example our treatment of the environment, the rapidity of today's technological progress, whether animals should have rights and if so how they should compare to ours. Philosophy also encompasses questions about the existence of God, how life is sustained on earth, and even at what point should the Government intrude on a person's freedom. This album introduces the study of philosophy and the human situation, and contains talks and debates from leading philosophical thinkers and teachers, past and present. This material forms part of The Open University course A211 Philosophy and the human situation.