Enabling Freedom: The Role Of The Prosthetic Environment In The Care Of Residents With Dementia And Delirium

Course overview

Residents with dementia and delirium are constantly assessing the environment, looking for clues to help them understand where they are, who others around them are, what they are supposed to be doing and what is expected of them. By attending to environmental clues, we may support functional independence, mobility, perceived control, perceived security, and even cognitive functioning. Moreover, research also suggests that attention to environmental clues may reduce falls, behavioral incidents, prevent resident to resident altercations and resident to staff altercations (especially during the delivery of ADL care), and also support the reduction of pharmacological intervention in the care of mood and behavior problems.