A Study on the Environments for Older People with Cognitive Impairments

인지장애 노인의 환경에 대한 연구

The purpose of this study is to present reference materials for the planning and research of related environments by introducing the theoretical background and samples of the environments for older people with cognitive impairments. Major contents of the study include cognitive impairments and residential facility of older people, model environments for special care unit, therapeutic dimensions of environments, outdoor garden, activity calendar, and site-visits of the sample facilities. Some results of the study could be summarized as follows ; 1) Special care unit for the people with cognitive impairments has been required and developed. 2) Weiss Institute, Corrine Dolan Alzheimer Center, and Wood Place in Oakmont were analyzed as model environments. 3) Therapeutic dimensions such as safety & security, awareness & orientation, opportunities for socialization, regulated sensory stimulation, provisions for privacy, ties to the healthy & familiar, and autonomy & control were proposed. 4) The advantages of outdoor garden for the people with cognitive impairments were explained. 5) Activity calendar for a facility was introduced and recognized as a essential guide for environment planning. 6) Sample facilities showed small size households and various ideas of environments for the older people with cognitive impairments.