2019 Volume 13 Issue 1 Pages 17-26
This study examined the relationship between environmental design in a group care unit（GCU）facility（Unit-gata Tokuyo in Japanese） and its effect on the residents’ quality of life（QOL）. Data was collected from 17 residents with dementia from 4 GCUs in a Tokyo area facility. Two-way Analysis of Covariance was performed on ME value（as a QOL indicator）to evaluate the facility environment and mental function. The result showed that there was a statically significant interaction between the Functional Assessment Staging Test and the Professional Environmental Assessment Protocol while controlling for age and gender（p＝.003）. Persons with advanced dementia tend to rely on a facilities environment to enhance their QOL. Environment design of GCU facilities is an important aspect of dementia care for residents. Our findings helped determine the relationship between environment design and QOL of residents. For further study, we will measure the same scales at different facilities and compare the results to determine effective design of the long-term care（LTC）physical environment in order to improve LTC residents’ QOL.
