Can we help persons with dementia find their way in a new environment?

The objective of this study was to conduct a randomized controlled trial to examine the effects of a way-finding intervention on residents' ability to find their way in a new environment. The effect of the intervention on the residents' spatial orientation and agitation were also examined. The study was conducted on four nursing home units in a geriatric center and the final sample consisted of 32 residents with Alzheimer's disease (17 in the treatment group and 15 in the control group). The intervention consisted of the use of a location map and a behavioral training technique, which was provided to residents over the course of a month. Repeated measures analysis of variance and McNemar tests were used to compare the groups in regard to changes in the outcomes over time. Results indicated that the residents' in the treatment group demonstrated an increased ability to find their way to the dining room one week after the intervention. The intervention effect was not sustained three months later.