ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN ACTIVITY AND INTERACTION IN CARE FACILITIES FOR OLDER PEOPLE

摘要

Older people living in residential care facilities spend most of their time within the home due to high levels of frail health and are depending on the physical environment for their daily life activities and interactions. There is a need for a deeper understanding on the complex relationships between older people and the quality of the physical environment in long-term care. The aim of this study was to explore how environmental factors influence resident activities and interactions at two care facilities. A mixed-method approach was applied. The quality of the physical environment was assessed by the Swedish version of the Sheffield Care Environment Assessment Matrix (S-SCEAM). Activities and interactions of older people were assessed through an adapted version of the Dementia Care Mapping (DCM), and data on residents’ emotional states were collected via the Observed Emotion Rating Scale (OERS). Walk-along interviews with older people, care staff and relatives were conducted and field notes were taken. The results indicate that the environmental design influenced activities and interactions among older people. Private apartments and dining areas had high environmental quality scores at both care facilities, and safety aspects was highly supported while the overall layout had lower quality. Despite high environmental quality in general, several factors were found to limit residents’ activities and interactions. These findings stress the importance of optimising long-term care by focusing on environments that are accessible and can offer possibilities for residents to use the facility independently.