An environmental behavior study on care systems and spatial structure of dwelling facilities for elderly people with dementia

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Currently, more group homes and nursing homes with group care units designed for small scale care are built, but the planning theory of them are still not established. This study aims to clarify relations between care environment of group homes or nursing homes with group care units and elderly residents with dementia in them, and discuss about care systems and spatial structure of these institutions. For this objective, 3 types of nursing home with private rooms (all of facilities were designed for small-scale care) were surveyed by means of mapping of activities of the residents/ care staffs, behavior observations and deep interviews. The findings are as follows :1) Meaning of common spaces for residents - especially in semi-private/ semi-public zone - of 3 facilities were very different in residents' use pattern of space and provision of care program. 2) Difference of care environment of these facilities (including building environment, socail relationship, and care phylosophy) had important influence on daily life of the residents. Relatively independent residents could organize their life on their own way in any facilities, but for the residents with serious dementia, their use patterns of common spaces might be controlled tightly by care staffs in some facilities. 3) Meaning of semi-private and semi-public zone were quite different from each 3 facilities in their characteristics of publicity, then the common spaces could be considered not as mono-hierarchical zones but as various public sphere.