Orientation behaviors in residents relocated to a redesigned dementia care unit

Abstract

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 psychologicalfunction (cognition, depression, and visual-spatial ability) two months after admission. Intrusions (uninvited entry into another resident's room) were trackedfor one week. Eighty-four percent ofparticipants were able to find their own rooms during the orientation task. The majority ofparticipants 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.