A CASE STUDY ON ACTUAL CONDITION OF LIVING STYLE AT HOME AND CHANGE IN ELDERLY PEOPLE WITH MILD DEMENTIA WHO NEED NURSING CARE

Abstract

 The purpose of this study is to find knowledge and problems on how to maintain the home life of the elderly with mild dementia who need nursing care. The method of study is to investigate the actual conditions of home living before and after the onset of dementia in elderly people with mild dementia who need nursing care living in urban areas. Next is to examine elements that may be related to establish ways of life that are thought to have an undesirable impact on the maintenance of home life.

 The results were as follows.

 1) Type of place to stay at home of the day-to-day by the elderly who need nursing care in house after the onset of dementia were classified into four types: bed stay type, bedroom stay type, living or dining room base type, and multi base type, from the most intensive. And there was no difference in physical ability among target of each type.

 2) Living style changes of the elderly with mild dementia who need nursing care was categorized into three types: “changes in the use of each room”, “physical changes in the room”, and “changes in housing due to movement”. Except for “changes in housing due to movement,” no mild confusion or worsening of symptoms was observed. Reasons for the change are ease of watching for caregiver, avoiding up and down movement, and ensuring accessibility from bedroom to daily-used rooms such as toilets and living rooms.

 3) It was suggested that the differences in lifestyle among the elderly with mild dementia who need nursing care are related to the following environmental elements. Degree or difference of symptom, bedroom size, house size, number of floors, layout of rooms used daily such as bedrooms and toilets, sunlight conditions, connection to externalspace, presence of people living together.

 The actual situation described above largely reflects the physical characteristics of typical urban houses which are small in scale and dominated by buildings other than one-story houses. To maintain the home life of the elderly people with mild dementia who need nursing care, it should be noted that:

 ・A bedroom near the toilet, living room and dining room or on the same floor.

 ・Multiple places to stay in the house for the elderly with dementia.

 ・A main staying place where has the well sunlight lit and the connection to the outside.

 ・Prior understanding of elderly people with dementia regarding the contents when making modifications that change the impression of space.

 ・Examination of living style from before the onset in the case of living in small houses that exist in many urban areas.