Research on Outdoor Environments and Activity Behavior of Senior Citizens with Dementia - A Study in Taipei City

Abstract

In 2015, Alzheimer's Disease International reported that there are over 47.5 million cases of dementia worldwide. In Taiwan, the number of individuals with dementia has reached 244 thousand. Access to suitable outdoor environments can improve the physical, mental, and spiritual health of senior citizens, which in-turn reduces the burden faced by caregivers as well as expenditures related social resources. This study used GPS data and in-depth interviews to examine the effect of exposure to an outdoor environment on 12 senior citizens with mild, moderate, or severe dementia in Taipei. The conclusions of this study were as follows: (1) Outdoor environments should be designed in accordance with the principles of distinctiveness, safety, environmental stimulation, accessibility, comfort, familiarity, and social support. (2) As the severity of dementia increased, the number of activity types that patients could engage in was reduced. In addition, only subjects with mild dementia participated in cognitive activities. (3) Dementia does not equal disability. Based on these findings, we recommend that outdoor environment facilities should be provide to senior citizens depending on the severity of their dementia. Besides that, adequate public facilities should be establish within 800 m of all communities to allow senior citizens to age in place, provide caregivers with some respite, and to achieve the goal of dementia-friendly communities.