Effects of Environmental Stimulation on Recognition of Mealtimes in Patients with Dementia

Abstract

Aims: The effects of the environmental setting with passive visual and auditory stimulation on the recognition of lunchtime were investigated in 20 elderly with dementia in a care facility. Methods: Visual and auditory stimulation, comprising a tablecloth with a vase of flowers on the table and background music was provided in the usual environment at lunch. Results: The recognition of lunchtime significantly improved with the stimulation, more with audio-visual stimulation than with visual stimulation alone. The effects on the memory of lunch were lost 1 hr after lunch or at other meals. Conclusions: We considered that the environmental stimulation facilitated their cognitive function, possibly via an implicit memory of lunch, but there was no effect on the memory of the lunch.

Habitual Activities for People with Dementia: The Role of Interiors in Supporting Their Development after Relocating to a Care Environment

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“… Bailey and Haight (1994) found pairing bath day with a pictorial cue of a duck resulted in a significant increase in recognition (p < .005) of bath time by people with dementia. Another more recent study ( Tanaka & Hoshiyama, 2014 ) looked at enhancing visual cues in the dining area to support mealtimes. They found introducing a bright tablecloth and flowers to signify lunchtime resulted in a significant increase in recognition before and after the meal.…”

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What is the evidence for the activities of Namaste Care? A rapid assessment review

“…Six articles were identified using the search term 'background music' (mean REA score = 19.2, strong). Three focused on the impact of playing background music for care home residents living with dementia during mealtimes (Tanaka & Hoshiyama, 2014;Chang, Huang, Lin, & Lin, 2010;Thomas & Smith, 2009). Although the results from Tanaka and Hoshiyama (2014) were mostly inconclusive, playing a simple wordless tune through speakers did show a trend towards successfully creating a memorable signal that it was lunchtime for participants.…”