Dementia: the International Journal of Social Research and Practice, 9(3), August 2010, pp.355-373.
Publisher:
Sage
... modelling was used to assess the impact of visiting a wander garden on monthly agitation levels of a group of elderly veterans diagnosed with dementia, with attention to their ambulatory ability. A sample of 34 veterans residing in a locked ward in a dementia unit was observed for a baseline period and for twelve months after a wander garden was opened in their facility. Results indicated that visiting the wander garden helped lower agitation levels in the dementia patients and that there was a differential effect based on the patient’s ability to walk unassisted.
An important area within the field of geriatrics is the long-term care of elderly people who have developed dementia disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Those who suffer from moderate to advance dementia with behavioural problems are often placed in locked wards where caregivers attempt to provide them with a safer environment. A growth model within the framework of hierarchical linear modelling was used to assess the impact of visiting a wander garden on monthly agitation levels of a group of elderly veterans diagnosed with dementia, with attention to their ambulatory ability. A sample of 34 veterans residing in a locked ward in a dementia unit was observed for a baseline period and for twelve months after a wander garden was opened in their facility. Results indicated that visiting the wander garden helped lower agitation levels in the dementia patients and that there was a differential effect based on the patient’s ability to walk unassisted.