ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN AND QOL IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES

摘要

The current concept of long-term care (LTC) facilities has shifted from a homogenous health care institution, to that of individual person-centered care. The design characteristics of the physical environment is a particularly noteworthy aid in caring for elders with dementia. As such, this concept of person-centered care has been adapted and implemented by LTC facilities worldwide in slightly different manners. As dementia progresses, elders tend to find their quality of life (QOL) rooted in environment settings; therefore, a purposeful therapeutic environmental design can have a positive effect on the well-being and functionality for those with dementia. The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between the environmental design in LTC facilities and its effect on elders with dementia’s daily activity patterns and quality of life. The data for this research was collected at Assisted Living facilities in San Francisco and comparable level of care facilities in Japan. Environmental scales (TESS-NH/RC, EAT-HC, and PEAP) were used to assess the environmental design of the senior facilities. The residents with dementia were observed using the Dementia Care Mapping tool and then classified using the Quality of Life-Alzheimer’s Disease assessment. The study hypothesized that facilities with higher scores in physical environment attributes would have a positive impact in the resident’s quality of life. The findings of the research define the similarities and differences in quality of life for persons with dementia between American and Japanese facilities. The results of this study will be issued.