ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL FOR SPECIAL CARE UNITS

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The goal of this project is to develop a product that will educate care- givers in long-term care settings on the therapeutic role of the physical environment and provide a facility-specific assessment with detailed recommendations for environmental modifications support the needs of residents with dementia. Research has suggested that as many as 70% of individuals in long-term care settings suffer from confusion or dementia. However, nursing homes were originally developed as sub-acute hospitals, intended to provide medical care for chronic or otherwise untreatable diseases, hence meeting the non-medical needs of residents with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias presents a significant challenge. Specifically, this project will develop an environmental assessment protocol to aid long-term care facilities in diagnosing the appropriateness of their environment for residents with dementia (developed in Phase I, to be further validated in Phase II); it will produce environmental sensitivity training materials to increase awareness of the therapeutic role of the environment in caring for this population (Phase II); and it will create an environmental modification recommendation procedure that increases access to the information necessary to implement relevant environmental modifications (Phase II). Administrators surveyed indicated overwhelming support for this type of product. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The vast majority of long-term care settings were designed without an understanding of the needs of individuals with dementia. Few facilities can build replacement buildings, but many are able to renovate. This product provides environmental sensitivity training, a facility-specific assessment, and detailed recommendations for environmental modifications at a price affordable to virtually all long-term care settings.