title: Effects of a protected hospital ward area on wandering and nonwandering geriatric patients.
abstract: The differential effect of a protected ward area on wandering and nonwandering geriatric patients was evaluated in terms of their physical, cognitive, and psychosocial functioning. Thirty wanderers and 18 nonwanderers were assessed prior to their transfer between the experimental and other wards and again after 6 and 12 weeks. A group (wanderers vs. nonwanderers) x ward (on vs. off the experimental ward) multivariate analysis of covariance, with the pretransfer measurements as the covariates, was used to analyze the data. Analysis revealed the following multivariate effects at both 6 and 12 weeks. The multivariant group x ward interaction for the physical range of motion) variables was significant, with wanderers showing greater range of motion on the experimental ward and nonwanderers showing greater range of motion off the ward. The multivariate group effect for the psychosical variables was also significant, with wanderers showing less improvement than nonwanderers.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003071:Cognition; D003704:Dementia; D005853:Geriatrics; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D008124:Locomotion; D008297:Male; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D012917:Social Adjustment