Investigating Exit-Seeking Interventions for Residents with Alzheimer's Disease in Institutional Care

Abstract

The exit-seeking behavior of persons with Alzheimer's disease has been associated with a decline in the physical and emotional wellbeing of the residents and their caregivers in long-term care facilities. Recent studies in the field suggest that promoting safe wandering and adapting to the patients needs contribute for better exit-seeking management, which can be facilitated through the use of assistive technology. In order to investigate how the technology can be introduced to nursing homes to effectively deter this dangerous behavior, five research methods are utilized: expert, family and artist interviews, a co-design workshop and a visual survey.Noticing the attitudes of the research participants towards the use of technology and their interests in low-tech deterrents such as door camouflages, the study examines the rationale behind the effectiveness of various exit-seeking interventions in order to provide recommendations for the professionals involved in the development of such solutions. The research finds that an effective wandering management strategy requires a combination of multiple approaches that complement each other in terms of the purpose of use, and build on the residents' interests, understanding and backgrounds.