Orientation behaviors in residents relocated to a redesigned dementia care unit.
This descriptive study took advantage of a scheduled environmental renovation in a secured dementia care unit. A convenience sample of 19 residents who were relocated to the unit completed a performance-based orientation task involving locating their own room. The study included a brief structured interview and tests of psychological function (cognition, depression, and visual-spatial ability) two months after admission. Intrusions (uninvited entry into another resident's room) were tracked for one week. Eighty-four percent of participants were able to find their own rooms during the orientation task. The majority of participants reported use of color (n = 13) and structure (n = 12) as cues for locating their rooms. Thirty-eight percent of those who could find their own rooms also intruded into others' rooms; these intrusions were most commonly related to seeking social interaction. The results attest to the importance of understanding the multiple factors that determine environmental use in this population.
Gibson
Margaret C
MC
Veterans Care Program, Parkwood Hospital, St. Joseph's Health Care London, London, Ontario, Canada.
MacLean
Jill
J
Borrie
Michael
M
Geiger
Julia
J
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002170:Canada; D003704:Dementia / Q000523:psychology*; D004779:Environment Design; D006272:Health Facility Environment; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009949:Orientation; D012494:Sampling Studies