Autonomy and independence have recently become important issues for the elderly, but have not been applied to Alzheimer's disease patients. This project explores pertinent autonomy for the cognitively disabled by studying exit door behaviors. A specially designed environment satisfied safety and health concerns and enabled residents to have free access to the outdoors during daylight hours. Twentytwo residents in early to advanced stages ofthe disease participated in the project. The results indicate that the number of agitated behaviors in five categories decreased under the unlocked door condition. Introduction Abstract terms like freedom of choice, independence, and autonomy are a significantpart ofthe political and social culture of the United States.
Research has indicated that behavioral strategies such as cuing orientation within an environment may help reduce incontinence among dementia patients. However, there are no empirical studies that explore the relationship between incontinence and environmental modifications. This study compares the effectiveness of four nomenclatures such as “toilet” and “restroom” on the wayfinding abilities of residents in the early, middle, and advanced stages of dementia in two specially designed units. Results indicate that a series of directional arrows on the floor with the nomenclature “toilet” produced the most instances of utilization of public toilets in both units.
Incontinence is a problem for both AD patients as well as their caregivers and becomes increasingly difficult to treat as cognitive abilities deteriorate. There are a variety of behavioral interventions to help alleviate incontinence. However, these remedies are often in-appropriate for dementia patients since the ability to comply diminishes with the progression of the disease. This study examines the differences in toilet use under concealed and visible conditions to determine whether visibility of the toilet is a supportive cue for AD patients. The results indicate that utilization of the toilets increased when toilets were visually accessible.
Anecdotal evidence indicates that Alzheimer's disease patients often appear confused and unable to concentrate, and that this may be related to attention span. This study utilizes barriers of three different heights to test how visual and auditory distracters affect the ability to concentrate on a given task. Residents were given art projects with adult themes and were observed for number of distractions. The results indicate that both low and high barriers are more effective than no barriers in screening out extraneous visual and auditory distractions. Of equal or greater importance is the finding that residents in the early and middle stages of the disease averaged 16 minutes of focused attention in a 20 minute trial.
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