Differential Responses of Individuals with Late-Stage Dementia to Two Novel Environments: A Multimedia Room and an Interior Garden

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the responses of individuals with advanced dementia to two novel sensory environments in a nursing home facility. The first was a multisensory Snoezelen room; the second was a temporary Japanese garden. Subjects viewed each environment twice a week for 15 minutes during the study. Stress was measured using heart rate and informant-based behavioral changes. By these criteria, the garden-viewing group showed positive behavioral changes while the responses of the subjects in the Snoezelen group were more negative. The response of the subjects' pulse rate was most dramatic. During the 15 minutes in the garden, the average rate (all subjects/all visits) was significantly less than in their residential room. In the Snoezelen room, we detected little or no change. The impact of the garden could also be seen in the negative behavioral signs elicited upon returning the subjects to the garden room after the installation had been replaced with plants and furniture arranged with no formal design. We propose that exposure to a small interior Japanese garden could be an effective intervention for individuals suffering from late stage Alzheimer's disease.

A group intervention to improve quality of life for people with advanced dementia living in care homes: the Namaste feasibility cluster RCT

“…The designs of the primary studies were: l 24 randomised controlled trials (reported in 26 papers [75][76][77]82,83,87,95,96,[98][99][100][101][102]105,[107][108][109][110][111][112][113][114][115]117,119,123,128,129 ) l four non-randomised controlled studies 85,91,106,120 l seven before-and-after studies 22,44,45,50,79,81,118 l four observational studies (reported in 10 papers [69][70][71][72][73][74]84,86,116,126 ) l 13...…”

“…In our original programme theory, we hypothesised that Namaste Care would have benefits for family members, either through better connection with their family member with dementia or through improved communication with staff. Few studies measured outcomes for family members, although there was some anecdotal and qualitative evidence that Namaste Care improved connections between family members and residents 44,48,50,85,93,94 and between relatives and care home staff, 44,46,50 for example as described by this stakeholder:…”

Use of multisensory stimulation interventions in the treatment of major neurocognitive disorders

“…In two separate studies, Goto et al found that viewing a Japanese garden twice a week for 15 sessions over 8 weeks reduced heart rate, evoked short-term and long-term memories and improved behavioural symptoms in nursing home residents with dementia in the USA and in hospitalized dementia patients in Japan [35,36]. In a study of moderate to severe dementia patients, exposure to nature via carer-mediated exposure to a nature-rich garden was found to result in a beneficial change in patient mood [37].…”

Effects of Enriched Thematic Multi-Sensory Stimulation on BPSD in A Beach Room: A Pilot Study among Nursing-Home Residents with Dementia

“…The study conducted by Goto and colleagues suggested that thematic multi-sensory stimulation might indeed lead to improvements in psychological and behavioral outcomes [14,15]. In their study, a Japanese garden room was compared with stimuli in a Snoezelen room.…”