Beth Nolan

When nursing home residents with dementia are unable to locate their own rooms, it often creates problems for staff and other residents. The impact of placing two external memory aids outside participants' bedrooms was evaluated by using a multiple-baseline design experiment. Three female special care unit (SCU) residents with severe Alzheimer's disease (MMSE = 5.7) participated in the study. Results showed that a combination of a portrait-type photograph of the participant as a young adult and a sign stating the resident's name increased room finding by over 50 percent with all three participants. Room finding stabilized at 100 percent accuracy for all participants within a few days of implementing the environmental intervention.

Wandering away from home, or elopement, is a behavior that places persons with dementia at risk of serious injury and may lead family caregivers to place their loved ones in institutions or to severely restrict their independence. Funding from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) was used to evaluate the Mobile Locater, an electronic device designed to help caregivers quickly locate a person who has eloped. This 6-month pilot study included case studies of seven users and an opinion survey of family caregivers, professional caregivers and search and rescue workers. The survey results showed that respondents were positively impressed by the device, only identifying cost as a potential drawback. Case studies revealed that the equipment was easy to use, effective, and helpful to caregivers' peace of mind. These results suggest that the Mobile Locater is a valuable tool deserving of further study.

When nursing home residents with dementia are unable to locate their own room, it can create a variety of problems for residents and staff. Behavioral assessments were conducted with 40 residents to identify which residents had difficulty locating their room. Several residents were identified as abl

Repetitive questions and requests for information are common in older adults with dementia. The purpose of this environmental design intervention was to provide residents continuous access to information about common mealtime questions with the intent of decreasing agitation around mealtimes and facilitating more pleasant patient-staff and patient-patient interactions. A special care unit for residents with dementia of the Alzheimer's type was the setting. During the intervention conditions, a large clock and a sign with large lettering that identified mealtimes were hung in the dining area. Direct observations of 35 residents were conducted at mealtimes for a 5-month period. Results showed reductions from baseline to the intervention phase in food-related questions or requests. These results suggest a simple, inexpensive environmental change intervention can reduce repetitive questions commonly exhibited by individuals with dementia.