Investigation of toilet activities in elderly patients with dementia from the viewpoint of motivation and self-awareness

摘要

Toilet activities of the elderly patients with dementia were observed focusing on care conditions and investigated based on Hull's drive reduction theory (behavior = drive × habit × incentive) and our self-awareness model (consisting of theory of mind, self-evaluation, and self-consciousness) to evaluate the association between self-awareness and toilet activities in patients with dementia and to explain the time when and the reason why a series of toilet activities as habit once acquired become unfeasible. If theory of mind is lost, awareness of one's desire and intention becomes vague, and toilet activities begin to collapse. Furthermore, if incentive disappears, one's intention hardly arises and toilet activities further collapse. If self-evaluation is lost, time sense fades, future goals based on the present time cannot exist, and behavior loses directivity. As a result, toilet activities collapse, and with a decrease in drive toilet activities cease.